A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Bangladesh.
Flag of Bangladesh
The national flag of Bangladesh consists of a red circle on a dark green field, with the red circle positioned slightly toward the hoist. The green background symbolizes the lush landscape of Bangladesh, while the red disc represents the rising sun and the sacrifices made by the people during the country’s struggle for independence.
Printable Bangladesh Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Bangladesh’s flag
1. The red disc on Bangladesh’s flag is slightly shifted toward the hoist, so that it appears visually centered when the flag is flying in the wind.
2. The original version of the flag used during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 included a yellow map of Bangladesh inside the red circle.
3. The map was removed in 1972, partly because it was difficult to reproduce correctly on both sides of the flag.
4. The first version of the flag was raised by student activists at Dhaka University on 2 March 1971 during growing political unrest in East Pakistan.
5. Bangladesh’s national flag is sometimes referred to as “Lal–Sobuj,” meaning “Red–Green.”
6. The flag’s simple design featuring a red circle is sometimes compared to the national flag of Japan, although Bangladesh uses a green background instead of white.
Explore more about Bangladesh:
Evolution of Bangladesh’s flag
Bangladesh independence movement (1971–1972)
The first version of the flag featured a green field with a red circle containing a yellow map of Bangladesh.
History of Bangladesh’s flag
Origins during the independence movement
The design of Bangladesh’s flag was first conceived by the painter Quamrul Hasan.
The first version of the flag was later produced by student activists at Dhaka University shortly before the independence movement of 1971 and featured a green background with a red circle containing a yellow map of Bangladesh.
First hoisting of the flag
On 2 March 1971, the flag was raised for the first time at Dhaka University by student leader ASM Abdur Rab.
Liberation War and early use
The version of the flag featuring the yellow map was widely used during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 by supporters of the independence movement.
Adoption of the modern flag
After Bangladesh achieved independence, the government simplified the design.
On 13 January 1972, the map was removed from the red disc and the circle was shifted slightly toward the hoist so that it would appear centered when the flag is flying.
The simplified design remains the national flag of Bangladesh today.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.