Flag of Bangladesh

The national flag of Bangladesh, called the Lal–Sobuj, was officially adopted on 17 January 1972. It shows a red circle on a dark green background. When the flag is flying, the red circle looks centered because it is placed a little to the left.

The design comes from a flag used during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. That older flag had a yellow map of Bangladesh inside the red circle, but this was removed in 1972 because it was hard to make it look right on both sides of the flag.

Many people believe the green color stands for the green lands of Bangladesh, and the red circle looks like a rising sun. It reminds everyone of the brave efforts of the people during the Liberation War of 1971.

Origin

The first version of the flag was designed and made by a group of student leaders and activists from the Swadheen Bangla Nucleus on 6 June 1970. They worked in room 108 of Iqbal Hall at Dhaka University. The students included Kazi Aref Ahmed, ASM Abdur Rab, Shajahan Siraj, Manirul Islam, Swapan Kumar Choudhury, Serajul Alam Khan, Quamrul Alam Khan Khasru, Hasanul Haq Inu, and Yousuf Salahuddin Ahmed. The flag was made from cloth donated by Bazlur Rahman Lasker, the owner of Apollo Tailors in Dhaka New Market.

A map of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was traced on paper and then painted as a red circle on the flag. On 2 March 1971, this first flag was raised at Dhaka University by student leader A. S. M. Abdur Rab. The flag was made without the star and crescent, which were symbols of West Pakistan (now Pakistan).

On 23 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman officially raised the flag at his house in Dhanmondi. In April 1971, the flag was raised for the first time at a foreign mission by Deputy High Commissioner Hosen Ali and others.

On 25 July 1971, Zakaria Pintoo, captain of the Shadhin Bangla Football Team, became the first person to raise the Bangladesh flag on foreign soil before a match in Nadia district of West Bengal, India.

On 13 January 1972, the flag was changed. The map was removed, and the red circle was moved toward the hoist so it would look centered when the flag was flying.

Symbolism

The green color of the Bangladesh flag stands for the country’s rich, green land. The red circle in the center stands for the blood of people who fought and died during the war for Bangladesh’s independence. Some also say the green shows youth and progress, while the red circle stands for new beginnings and change. The round shape of the red circle looks like the rising sun, much like the flag of Japan.

Design

The national flag of Bangladesh has a simple design. It is bottle green with a red circle near the center. The flag’s length is 10 units long and 6 units wide. The red circle’s radius is one-fifth of the flag’s length.

The colors are very specific. The green is a special shade called Procion Brilliant Green H-2RS, and the red is Procion Brilliant Orange H-2RS. There are different sizes for different uses, like big flags for buildings, smaller ones for cars, and tiny ones for tables.

^a Converted from Pantone color model per connect.pantone.com

^b Converted from RGB based on Inkscape colours value.

Protocol

The national flag of Bangladesh is shown on important government buildings and offices on most days. This includes places like the president’s house and legislative assembly buildings. Ministers and other important leaders can also display the flag on their cars and boats.

The flag must be shown at official homes of key leaders such as the President, Prime Minister, and Chief Justice. It is also flown on cars and boats of these leaders and other important officials.

The flag is displayed on public buildings and at diplomatic offices on special days such as Independence Day on March 26 and Victory Day on December 16, as well as any other days the government chooses. The flag is flown at half-mast on National Martyrs Day on February 21 and other days the government announces.

World records

On 16 December 2013, during Bangladesh's Victory Day, many people came together to make a huge human flag, entering the Guinness Book of World Records. Later, India set a new record with even more people.

In July 2021, someone used many envelopes to create a large flag of Bangladesh, trying to break a world record. In May 2024, a person jumped from very high up while carrying a Bangladesh flag, earning a record for the farthest freefall with a banner.

On 16 December 2025, during another Victory Day celebration, paratroopers jumped with Bangladesh flags, setting a record for the largest flag-parachuting event.

Historical flags

Pre-colonial states

British India and independence