How Countries Got Their Flags: Bangladesh
The flag of Bangladesh displays bold colors and a rare design featuring a slightly off-centered circle. The flags of Greenland, Palau, and Portugal also boast this design. However, the Bangladeshi flag hasn’t always looked like this. A history of colonialism and military conflict has led to numerous changes to this flag. Let’s check out the previous versions of the flag of Bangladesh.
750–1160
The Pala Empire flew this flag while it ruled most of modern-day Bangladesh and northeast India. The flag has a green background interrupted by a vertical yellow stripe on the right. A yellow Dharmachakra can be found in the space to the left of the yellow stripe. The Dharmachakra is a symbol used in many Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
751–842
During its rule of modern-day Bangladesh and part of India, the Tibetan Empire flew this flag. This particular image is a recreation of what the flag presumably looked like. The background is bright red except for a vertical yellow stripe on the right side of this flag. Centered on the yellow stripe is a green diamond and there are two green squares at the top and bottom of the stripe. In the center of the red background is a snow leopard. Above the leopard are the sun (on the right) and the moon (on the left).
1023–1070
This banner was used by the Chola Empire which ruled the southern half of Bangladesh for around 50 years. The design is all red with a leaping tiger in the center. There is a triangle shape cut out of the right side of this flag; this is known as a swallowtail.
1160–1205
The Sena Empire ruled modern-day Bangladesh and flew this flag while it did so. The background is saffron-yellow and its shape is a swallowtail just like the flag of the Chola Empire. The symbol in the flag's center is Shiva, a Hindu deity, sitting atop a lotus flower surrounded by a wreath of Rudraksha. Rudraksha are dried seeds dropped by Elaeocarpus ganitrus plants.
1205–1208
This is the flag of the Ghurid Empire which ruled modern-day Bangladesh, northern India, and part of Central Asia. Their flag is one of the more aggressive designs in Bangladeshi history. It has a bright red background beneath a white upward-facing crescent
1206–1352
This is the banner of the Sultanate of Delhi, an empire that ruled most of modern-day India, Bangladesh, and Nepal at one point. It has a wide rectangular shape and features two gray rectangles separated by a thick black line. This design is outlined in black and 11 black strips are hanging on the right-hand side of the flag, similar to the current flag of Venice, Italy.
1352–1576
The Bengal Sultanate ruled modern-day Bangladesh for over 200 years and they flew this flag during that period. Its design is a unique version of the ever-so-popular horizontal tricolor; the middle stripe is much thicker than the top and bottom stripes. This design particularly features red stripes on the top and bottom and a white stripe in the middle.
1576–1858
This is the flag of the Mughal Empire which stretched northeast from modern-day Bangladesh and India up into Central Asia. Their flag is a moss green triangle patterned with small yellow five-pointed stars. In the center of this flag lays a yellow sun with 24 rays. This uncommon flag shape can be found on the flag of Nepal.
1717–1757
This is the flag of the Bengal Subah, which controlled modern-day Bangladesh and parts of Myanmar and northeastern India. It became an absolute monarchy in 1717 after years of being a subdivision of the Mughal Empire. The flag has a white background, a rarity in modern times, along with a red sword in the center surrounded by three red barrels.
1750–1757
The flag of the Maratha Empire might just be the simplest in the history of Bangladesh. Aside from the symbol, it’s identical to the flag of the Sena Empire. It’s completely saffron-yellow and it has a swallowtail shape.
1803–1947
In 1803, the Bengal Subah was annexed into the Bengal Presidency, which was part of the East India Company. The flag of the Bengal Presidency has a blue background and the Union Jack in the northwest quadrant. Centered on the right half of the flag is the coat of arms of the Bengal Presidency.
1858–1947
During the British Raj, in which the British Empire ruled modern-day India and surrounding areas, the flag of said empire was used. The design is the same Union Jack that the United Kingdom uses today.
1858–1947
The Governor-General of India was a representative of the British Empire who ruled over the empire’s territory in South Asia. This was the flag of the Governor-General while Britain was in power in this region. The design features the Union Jack behind the Star of India in the center. Above the Star of India is the Imperial Crown of India.
1947–1971
The territory that belongs to Bangladesh today used to be called East Pakistan, and the Pakistani flag flew over this land. The majority of the flag of Pakistan is green. Centered on the green portion of the flag is a white crescent moon and a white five-pointed star. On the left side of the flag is a white strip.
1971
The Mukti Bahini, a.k.a. the Bangladesh Forces, used this flag from March to December of 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War fought against East Pakistan. The flag had a red background with a slightly off-centered white circle, just like the style of the current flag of Bangladesh. Inside the white circle is a red hand holding a red bayonet.
1971–1972
When Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh chose this design. It’s the same as the current Bangladeshi flag with a green background and a slightly off-centered red circle except for one detail; this version had the shape of the country in orange inside of the circle.
1972-Present (2024)
Similar to the previous flag, the current flag of Bangladesh has a dark green background and a red circle that is slightly off-centered to the left. The orange outline of the country was removed. The green color represents the lush landscape of Bangladesh, and the red color represents the bloodshed and the lives lost in the country’s fight for independence during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The circle shape symbolizes the rising sun.
