The Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka has removed the distorted image of the Bangladesh flag posted on its official Facebook page amid protests.
During the media briefing on the 20th session of the Council of Ministers of D-8, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said the foreign ministry did not like the image that the Pakistan High Commission used on its Facebook linking the national flag of Bangladesh with the flag of Pakistan.
“We have told them (Pakistan) that this is not our choice,” he said, adding that the Pakistan High Commission conveyed to the foreign ministry that they did not upload that photo with any ill motive.
The foreign minister, however, said Pakistan has uploaded pictures of a few other countries’ flags on various mission pages such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Mancha lodged a strong protest against the posting of the distorted image of Bangladesh flag on the official Facebook page of the Pakistan High Commission.
In a statement, the platform of 1971 freedom fighters condemned the move and demanded exemplary punishment of the Pakistan High Commission.
The Pakistan High Commission on Thursday updated the cover photo of its Facebook page with a flag which adds moon and crescent to the original red and green flag of Bangladesh.
The Muktijoddha Mancha said this was a “disrespect” to Bangladesh. “It is also a violation of national flag rules of Bangladesh”.
Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. In the nine-month liberation war, Pakistan military killed 3 million people and raped more than 200,000 women. Pakistan never apologized for the crimes against humanity.
The Muktijoddha Mancha remembered the sacrifice of earning the flag, and said a nationwide movement would be launched “if strict action is not taken against the Pakistan High Commission”.
They also demanded prosecution of the Pakistani army at the International Criminal Court for carrying out genocide in 1971.
