Asia

Flag of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a South Asian country almost entirely surrounded by India, with a small border with Myanmar, and is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with around 170 million people in an area smaller than Greece. It achieved independence from Pakistan in 1971 following a liberation war. Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment exporter and has made remarkable progress in poverty reduction, women's education, and reducing child mortality.

CapitalDhaka
RegionAsia
Current flag since1972
Main coloursGreen, Red
Populationabout 173 million
Areaabout 148,000 km²
Flags in history3

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Bangladesh means

The red disc represents the sun rising over Bengal and the blood of those who died in the 1971 Liberation War, and the green the lushness of the land. The disc is set slightly towards the hoist so it looks centred when the flag flies. The first version, used during the war, had a yellow map of the country inside the disc; it was removed in 1972.

More about the flag

The flag was designed in 1970 by student activists in Dhaka, and the earliest version, with a yellow map of East Pakistan in the disc, was raised in March 1971 at the start of the independence war. Bangladesh means country of Bengal. Its flag is often compared with Japan's, which also shows a red disc, though Japan's disc is centred and its field is white.

How to recognise it

Green field with a red disc offset slightly to the left. Japan is white with red disc.

Did you know?

Bangladesh is home to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, shared with India.

Easily confused with

Bangladesh's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Japan

Palau

Flag history of Bangladesh

Every flag that has flown over Bangladesh, from today back through time.

1972–present

Flag of Bangladesh

In 1972 the gold map was removed, leaving a red disc on green. The disc is set slightly toward the hoist so it appears centered when the flag flies.

1971–1972

Liberation War flag (with map)

Used during the 1971 Liberation War: a red disc on green bearing a gold silhouette map of the country, dropped partly because it was hard to render correctly on both sides.

1947–1971

East Pakistan

At the 1947 Partition of British India, the Bengali-speaking east became East Pakistan — one wing of a country split by 1,600 km of Indian territory — and flew the green-and-white flag of Pakistan. Resentment over political and economic domination by West Pakistan, and the suppression of the Bengali language, fuelled the independence movement that erupted into the 1971 Liberation War.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Bangladesh.

1526–1857

Mughal Empire

One of history's great empires, ruling most of the Indian subcontinent at its height; its green 'Alam' banner bore a lion and rising sun. Builders of the Taj Mahal, the Mughals were finally deposed by the British after the 1857 rebellion.

Neighbouring countries

Bangladesh shares a land border with 2 countries: India and Myanmar.

India

Myanmar

Other flags in green and red

One other national flag uses the same main colours as Bangladesh's.

Morocco

Play Globalio and learn Bangladesh's flag