Bangladesh's flag has a red circle placed slightly toward the hoist, or left side, rather than exactly at the center. The flag consists of this red disc on a green field, with the official proportions set at 3:5. The offset helps the circle appear centered when the flag is flying, because the fabric tends to extend and billow toward the fly.
The red disc is commonly understood to represent the rising sun and the blood shed during Bangladesh's struggle for independence. The green field evokes the country's lush landscape and is also associated with hope and youth. The present flag was adopted on 17 January 1972, after Bangladesh became independent.
A frequent mix-up is with Japan, whose red disc is centered on a white field, and Palau, whose yellow disc is also intentionally offset toward the hoist but sits on a light-blue field. South Korea is immediately distinguishable by its taegeuk symbol and four black trigrams. Bangladesh's green background and red, slightly displaced disc are the defining combination.