JUNE 15, 2025 — Bangladesh’s interim government has firmly denied circulating rumours that the country’s national flag is being redesigned to include Islamic symbols such as a crescent and star, says Prothom Alo.
A digitally altered image depicting a new version of the Bangladeshi flag, said to incorporate symbols similar to those on the flags of Pakistan and Turkey, went viral on social media and was shared widely across websites and platforms including X (formerly Twitter), according to Somoy TV.
The Chief Adviser’s Press Wing responded swiftly, calling the claims “entirely false” and describing the image as AI-generated disinformation.
“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,” read an official statement posted on the CA Press Wing’s verified Facebook page yesterday. It further noted that no credible Bangladeshi media outlet has reported any such plan or deliberation.
The disinformation appears to have begun with a June 4 post by a pro-Pakistan X account sharing a fake flag image, later featured in an AI-generated article. Published on June 6, the article was amplified by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to The Dissent.
“This misinformation campaign appears to be deliberately designed to exploit religious symbolism and provoke identity-based outrage, especially among nationalist or conservative audiences,” said the press wing. “The so-called redesigned flag was created using AI-generated imagery, underscoring the fabricated nature of the entire claim.”
The controversy has attracted attention particularly in online spaces connected to Pakistan, Turkey, and parts of the Middle East, with the doctored image reportedly garnering nearly a million views.
“Let us prioritize factual information and resist the spread of unfounded rumours,” the press wing concluded.
