Recently, an image has been circulating on social media with the claim that “Bangladesh Army raised talebani jihadi terrorists flag, Bangladesh Army also agent of USAID.”

A post making this claim on X can be seen here (Link) (Archive), and here (Link) (Archive).

A similar claim has also been posted on Facebook, here (Archive).

Additionally, the Indian news outlet Aaj Tak Bangla discussed this claim in a program where Bangladeshi activist Nijhoom Majumdar participated. You can watch the video here (Link) (Archive).

Fact-Check

An investigation by the Rumor Scanner Team confirms that the Bangladesh Army did not raise a black flag inscribed with the Kalima. The claim stems from an incident on August 5, 2024, when protesters marching toward Ganabhaban in Dhaka raised a Kalima-inscribed flag near a convoy of army vehicles. The widely shared photo has been misrepresented.

During the investigation, the image in question was found in a report published on the BBC’s website on January 13 of this year. According to the caption, the photo captures protesters marching toward Ganabhaban in Dhaka on August 5 of the previous year, accompanied by several army personnel.

Furthermore, the watermark on the BBC image indicates that the copyright belongs to Getty Images, a global platform for image licensing and distribution. The original image was later found on Getty Images’ website, where its description aligns with the details provided by the BBC. The caption also confirms that the photo was taken by AFP photojournalist Munir Uz Zaman.

Notably, the Bangladesh Army has been observed raising a green flag inscribed with the Kalima during military parades, a practice that has been consistently followed under previous administrations as well.

The incident of protesters raising a Kalima-inscribed flag on the roadside near a convoy of army vehicles during their march toward Ganabhaban on August 5 of the previous year has been misrepresented as the Bangladesh Army hoisting the flag. This claim is misleading.