A post shared on X claims The Economist removed the Palestinian flag from its recent cover highlighting Bangladesh.

“The Economist” photoshopped the Palestinian flag out of the image in Bangladesh, literally making heavy idiots out of their loyal readers.

Shame on them; they are fighting the State of Palestine by all intellectual standards. 🇵🇸 🕊️ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7hOZHAp0y0

— Sunshine (@Sunshinebeam0) August 9, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

The claim is misleading. The image, which originally stems from Getty Images, simply does not feature a Palestinian flag.

Fact Check:

The U.S. said it “had no role” in the recent ousting of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to Reuters. Hasina stepped down from her 15-year rule on August 5 following weeks of violent protests beginning in July, The Associated Press reported.

The X post, viewed over 200 times as of writing, claims The Economist removed the Palestinian flag from its recent cover highlighting Bangladesh. “‘The Economist’ photoshopped the Palestinian flag out of the image in Bangladesh, literally making heavy idiots out of their loyal readers,” the post reads in part.

The post features two images, one of the purported cover in which no Palestinian flag is visible and another where it is. Both images appear to show protestors gathered in Bangladesh.

The claim is misleading. The image, which originally stems from Getty Images, simply does not feature a Palestinian flag.

“Anti-government protestors display Bangladesh’s national flag as they storm Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s palace in Dhaka on August 5, 2024. Bangladesh army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman spent nearly four decades rising to the top of the military and said on August 5, he was ‘taking full responsibility’ after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted and fled,” the image’s caption reads.

The image is featured in an August 8 piece from The Economist discussing the former Bangladeshi prime minister’s ousting. The image’s credit is clearly listed as Getty Images. (RELATED: Video Of Boats Of Migrants Arriving From Sea Is From Spain 2023, Not 2024 In U.K.)

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim made via the X post. In fact, the opposite is true. On August 12, Misbar reported the claim was misleading and traced the image back to Getty Images. The outlet also indicated the two images featured in the X post are “distinct” from each other and were “captured” in “different time period[s].” Additionally, the outlet reiterated that The Economist did not edit the image.

Furthermore, The Economist has not commented on the X post’s claim via its website or its verified social media accounts.

Check Your Fact has contacted The Economist for comment.