Uphold the dignity of national flag

Undoubtedly we are a football loving nation and a lot of people of this country support various football playing countries like Argentine, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany etc. Our football fans are very much involved with their supporting teams and to show love to them and to defeat the opposing enthusiasts often they fly the national flag of their supporting teams. 

During the season of the world cup football we often observed that almost everywhere in Bangladesh is being covered by colourful national flags of different football playing countries. Albeit on various national occasions like Independence Day, Victory Day or even in any sports event we use our national flag to cheer up our patriotism. 

Often the followers write various marks, quotations, names, picture of world cup or star player on the body of the displayed flag. Some fans fly the flag horizontally on their building, window, veranda, vehicle, field or road throughout the whole period of world cup. 

Photo: Collected from Internet

Interestingly, these worthy flags during the season become useless after the end of the game and most of them are ignorant to dispose of the flags properly. Apart from these, often they do not maintain the size and actual color of a particular national flag. We cannot disregard the dignity of national flag of a foreign country in the name of football fever.

However, national flag of a country bears great dignity and it carries the symbol of national unity. Every such flag has some unique features relating to the convention and sprit of that nation. It is an individuality for a State, moreover a source of inspiration. We achieved our national flag at the cost of the blood of the greatest sons of this soil. 

Hence we invigorated ourselves by our national flag whenever we face any criticality. The national anthem written by Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore and our gorgeous green and red flag had massive involvement during the liberation war of 1971 and other national movements like 52’s language movement, 6 points of 1966, 69’s movement etc.

That’s why the color of jersey is being the combination of colours of the national flag and after conquering anything everybody want to fly his national flag to show the pride to rest of the world. Hence every people should respect the dignity of the national flag of each country. Of course, people have emotions; they can show their support to a team when watching a game by any other way. But they cannot fly a flag in such an undisciplined way. 

Moreover, we have an obligation to maintain all decorum regarding national flag and we should respect not only our national flag but also the flag of a foreign state. Further, we cannot disregard our nationalism by flying the national flag of a football playing nation randomly. However, we have a law regarding the dealing of national flag titled the Bangladesh National Anthem, Flag and Emblem Order, 1972 and under the mentioned Order a rule has been enacted namely the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Flag Rules, 1972.

This Order and rules provides detail rules regarding the use of our national flag as well as the use of the flag of a foreign country. The rules prohibits the fly of a flag of a foreign state on any building or place in Bangladesh without specific permission from the government.

In addition, the Order declares in Article 4A that anybody contravenes the provisions of this Order or of the rules s/he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to taka five thousand, or with both. The rules promulgates that the flag shall not be flown at half-mast except at the national mourning day, international mother language day and any other national day declared by the government. However, people can use the national flag on their vehicles only on the occasion of the national day, and not generally.

The rules also determines the following occasions when the flag is to be flown on public or private buildings all over the country on the

a) Birthday of the Holy Prophet (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi)

b) Independence Day on the March 26

c) Victory Day on the December 16 and

d) Any other day as may be notified by the government.

In addition it provides some guidelines to uphold the dignity of the flag. Among them the followings are mentionable:

Photo: The Independent
a) Due honour and respect shall always be shown to the flag,

b) The place of honour shall be reserved for the Bangladesh flag when it is accompanied by flags or colours of other foreign countries,

c) No other flag or colour shall be flown above the Bangladesh flag,

d) When the flag of any other country is flown together with the Bangladesh flag the later shall be hoisted first and lowered last,

e) When the flags of two or more countries are displayed, they shall be flown on separate staffs and the flags shall be approximately of equal size,

f) When the flag is displayed on a wall, otherwise than by being flown from a staff, it shall be displayed flat. When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it shall be displayed vertically,

g) The flag shall not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground,

h) The flag shall not be dipped to any person or any inanimate object

i) The flag shall never touch any object beneath it such as the floor, water or merchandise,

j) The flag shall never be carried flat or horizontally but always aloft and free,

k) The flag shall not be hoisted, displayed, used, stored in such a manner as will permit it to be easily torn, soiled or damaged in any way,

l) The flag when it is in such a condition that it can no longer be used, shall be disposed of in a dignified manner, preferably by burying,

m) The flag shall be flown only from sunrise to sunset,

n) Nothing should be written or imprinted on the flag nor should any mark be made on it on ceremonial or any other occasion.

National flag is the pictogram of national harmony. Moreover, national flag is the sunshade on our head to guard the sovereignty, which we earned by paying one ocean blood! Hence, it is our solemn duty to respect and uphold the dignity of the national flag appropriately. Someday ago during Twenty 20 world cup govt. banned to carry foreign flag inside stadium and now what happened dramatically that our Premier permits us to fly foreign flags? Nonetheless, the law may be back dated, but once it is in operation, we should abide it. Alternatively, legislature can repeal the enactment to validate the crazes of football fans.

Published in the Daily Observer as Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) on 27.06.2014 at P. 7. 
Published in The Independent as Op-Ed on 10.07.2014 at P. 7