Chief Adviser's Press Wing has debunked the claim that Bangladesh's interim government is considering altering the country's national flag, terming it entirely false.
"A false claim has been widely circulating across several websites and social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), alleging that Bangladesh's interim government is considering altering its national flag," the press wing said in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page - CA Press Wing Facts.
“The rumor, amplified by dozens of users including Sajeeb Wazed Joy — son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — falsely asserts that an Islamic crescent and star, resembling symbols commonly associated with Pakistan and Turkey, will be added to the Bangladeshi flag.
“A digitally fabricated image showing a redesigned flag has gone viral, amassing nearly one million views and significant engagement — especially from audiences in Pakistan, Turkey, and the Middle East,” the post stated.
"These claims are entirely false,” it asserted.
As of June 14, 2025, no credible Bangladeshi media outlet has reported any such plan or discussion about changing the flag's design.
“There is no basis for nationwide discussion on a decision that doesn't exist, nor has any domestic or international reliable news source mentioned such a move," the statement read.
Bangladeshi fact-checking outlet The Dissent reported: "Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, propagated a false article titled 'Bangladesh Considers Adding Islamic Crescent to Its Flag, Mirroring Pakistan and Turkey,' written by an AI-generated author named Robert Brown, and published on June 6.
According to the press wing, a recent article promoting a false narrative lacks any credible citations, supporting evidence, or verifiable sources. The disinformation appears to have stemmed from a June 4 post by the pro-Pakistan X account @SouthAsiaIndex, which initially shared a digitally altered image claiming to show a redesigned Bangladeshi flag. This same image was later featured in the misleading article circulated by Sajeeb Wazed.
The press wing noted that the misinformation effort seems intentionally crafted to exploit religious themes and provoke outrage based on identity politics—particularly targeting nationalist and conservative segments of the population. The alleged new flag design was produced using AI-generated visuals, highlighting the fabricated basis of the claim.
This isn’t the first instance of such misleading narratives. Following the July mass protests in Bangladesh, some social media accounts, including @AsianDigest, falsely alleged that student leaders had proposed a new national flag. That claim attracted over 90,000 views before being comprehensively debunked.
The press wing urged social media users to be vigilant and verify information before sharing, emphasizing that there is no movement within Bangladesh seeking to change the national flag. Such fabrications, it warned, are aimed solely at distorting facts and sowing division.
"Let us prioritise factual information and resist the spread of unfounded rumours," the statement said.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
