Flag of Bangladesh - Colours, Meaning, History ??

Bangladesh, which means ‘Country of Bengal’, is a riverine country located amid the Padme (Ganges) delta and the Jamuna (Brahmaputra) river in the North Eastern part of the country. The state is lush green with many waterways. Bangladesh has a unique geographic makeup with fertile alluvial plains. The majority of the population are farmers. The official name of the country is the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The flag of Bangladesh is dark green with a red circle in the middle. The green symbolizes the fertile countryside of Bangladesh. Green is also a color representing Islam, as this is the largest religion in the country. The Muslim population in Bangladesh is around 200 million. As such, the country has the third largest population of Muslims, after India and Pakistan. The color green in Islam is associated with paradise. Adopting this color in the flag is proof that Bangladeshis adore their country. The red circle at the center of the flag symbolizes the rising sun. The red color also commemorates the blood spilled in the 1971 war.

History of the Flag of Bangladesh

The Bangladeshi flag was officially adopted on January 17, 1972. The design is similar to the one used during the 1971 liberation war. The liberation flag had a map of Bangladesh in gold within the red circle. However, the map was removed under the order of General Abdul Manzur in favor of a more simplistic design. The flag was adopted from a banner designed by a painter known as Quamrul Hassan. He created the flag during the fight for freedom in 1971.

A few brave youths from the Dakar University, under the leadership of ASM Abdur Rob, who was at that time the Vice President of the University’s Student Union, hoisted the flag with the vision of a free country. The flag was placed on the rooftop of the western porch of the Faculty of Arts Department at the university. This historical act took place on March 2nd, 1971, in front of hundreds of students and the public. The witnesses saluted the flag and expressed their solidarity with the liberation movement. Since then, the flag became an emblem of the patriotic spirit of the citizens of Bangladesh.

After hoisting the flag, the students went ahead and gave fiery speeches in which they expressed their determination to undergo any sacrifice for the liberation of their country. The students pledged to continue to persist in their fight for freedom under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. That afternoon, the Pakistani flag was pulled down, and the new Bangladesh flag was hoisted at the University in the city of Dhaka.

What is the meaning behind the colours of the Bangladesh Flag?

a) Colors

The flag of Bangladesh is made up of two colors. There is the green background (Procion Brilliant Green) and the circular part is red (Procion Brilliant Orange H-2RS 60 parts per 1000). The colors of the flag have a contested history. The original designer was a secular nationalist. He designed the green to represent the rural beauty of Bangladesh. However, since Islam is the state religion, the green also denotes a religious interpretation. This flag is a symbol of an independent nation. Before 1947, Bangladesh was part of India. It was known as East Bengal. After 1947, East Bengal became part of East Pakistan under British rule.

East Bengal fought to liberate itself from the shadow of India and Pakistan. This led to a prolonged and savage civil war. On December 16, 1971, the War of Liberation of Bangladesh came to an end. The new nation had won victory over the West Pakistani army invasion on their lands. This victory is celebrated annually on December 16th as Victory Day. The red color of the circle also serves as a reminder of the bloodshed experienced during the civil war. The circle shape was selected in favor of the crescent or the star shape that were considered symbols of West Pakistan. The red disk is a socialist symbol that represents the dawn of independence after the prolonged civil war.

Green

The lushness of the countryside
Islam

Red

The rising sun of Independence
The blood of those who fought for independence

b) Shape

The flag is rectangular, with a 10:6 length to width ratio. If the flag’s length is 10 inches, then the width will be 6 inches. Based on this ratio, the radius of the red disk would be 2 inches. The red disk appears slightly towards the left so that when raised the circle appears at the center of the flag.

Variations of the Flag

The civil ensign of Bangladesh is placed on the upper right corner of the flag. The ensign is red with the flag appearing at the corner. This design was influenced by the British system which has a red ensign for the navy.
The naval ensign, on the other hand, is white, with the flag appearing at the top right corner. The overall design is 27×54 whereas the national flag size at the upper right corner is 13.5×22.5.
The coast guard ensign of Bangladesh bears the national flag in a blue canton. The overall proportions of the flag to the red ensign is 1:2.

Interesting Facts about the Flag of Bangladesh

The law mandates that government officials fly the flag at their official government residences. The flag appears in all government buildings and offices.
The President and the Prime Minister are the only government officials entitled to have the flag on their motor vehicles, airplanes, and vessels.
The law also mandates the flag to be hoisted on Independence day (March 26th), on Victory Day (December 16th), on the Birthday of the Holy Prophet (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi), and on any other day that may be notified by the government.
The flag is flown on half-mast on Shaheed Day (Feb 21st) or any other day notified by the government.
In 2013, around 27,000 Bangladeshis gathered to form an enormous human flag, which the Guinness World Records recognized as the largest in the world.
The flag is a symbol of independence and the sovereignty of the nation. It is a constant reminder of the struggle to gain freedom and the patriotism of those who bled and died for the country.

Do you know any other interesting facts about the flag of Bangladesh? Share your thoughts below.

Study in Bangladesh