Lately, social media has been buzzing with an image that claims a Pakistani flag was waved in Bangladesh after the dramatic ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. But, as it turns out, this claim doesn’t hold water. The image actually shows protesters waving the Pakistani flag on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City during a pro-Palestinian rally back in October 2023.
Despite this, the misleading posts have made their rounds on platforms like X and Facebook, convincing many that the flag was raised in Bangladesh as a symbolic act. One of these posts, which has racked up over 35,000 views, included an Urdu caption saying: “The most favorable picture emerged. For the first time since 1971, Dhaka raised the flag of Pakistan over Bangladesh.”
The photo in question shows a group of masked individuals holding Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Palestinian flags on top of a steel structure. The timing of its circulation—on August 5, 2024, just as Sheikh Hasina resigned amid protests in Bangladesh—added to the confusion. But there’s no connection between this image and the events unfolding in Bangladesh.
A closer look through reverse image and keyword searches reveals that the photo was originally taken during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York City. A video from October 29, 2023, on the verified YouTube channel LLN NYC, clearly shows the same group of protesters waving those flags on the Brooklyn Bridge.
This incident underscores just how tricky it can be to navigate the digital landscape where misinformation spreads like wildfire. Social media platforms, while powerful tools for connection, can also become breeding grounds for fake news and doctored images. In this case, a photo was ripped from its original context and used to weave a false narrative about current events in Bangladesh.
Misinformation like this doesn’t just lead people astray; it can also fan the flames of tension between countries, especially when it taps into historical grievances. The speed at which such falsehoods can spread shows just how important it is for all of us to be vigilant. We need to develop strong media literacy skills and make it a habit to verify what we see before we hit that share button. The consequences of spreading false information can ripple far beyond the screen, affecting real lives and relationships between nations.