Withdrawal of two textbooks is bad omen for all

The withdrawal of two textbooks for the sixth and seventh grades based on the new curriculum is bad omen for all.

Eminent citizens made the remark at a roundtable at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

‘Samajik Pratirodh Committee’ organised the roundtable titled ‘let the propaganda against science-based, non-communal, humane and equity-based curriculum be stopped’.

Eminent citizens said the entire society, politics and culture are passing through a period of communalisation now ands such a situation has emerged due to the patronisation of fundamentalists.

However, instead of being concerned about this, the government is patronising this, they added.

On 10 February, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) in a sudden move withdrew two textbooks of class six and seven titled Anushondhani Paath through a press release.

However, they didn’t disclose anything regarding the reason behind the decision.

There are allegations from different quarters that those books have been withdrawn mainly due to ‘political reasons’ in the year of national polls.

The Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh thanked prime minister Sheikh Hasina for withdrawing the books in a press release on 26 February. In addition to that, the qawmi madrasah-based organisation also demanded exemplary punishment for the people affiliated with adding controversial topics in the textbooks.

Hefazat-e-Islam secretary general Sajidur Rahman said they held a meeting with the prime minister over the ‘problems’ in the textbooks. In the meeting, prime minister Sheikh Hasina assured them of solving the problems they mentioned.

Explaining the reason behind withdrawing the two textbooks at the roundtable, member of NCTB Md Mashiuzzaman said, “We don’t think there were any mistakes in the textbooks. However, there may be some spelling mistakes. As a government agency, we always try to remain uncontroversial."

In this context, they assumed that withdrawing these books won’t be a massive loss for the students.

Mashiuzzaman further said, “There were negative propagandas in 2017 as well. However, this time the level of spreading propaganda was beyond any limit. We felt a bit helpless as you (the organisers) were not beside us.”

Former advisor to the caretaker government, Rashida K Chowdhury said, “I have never thought of facing such a situation in my lifetime. I can’t understand how we are turning a non-communal country upside down.”

She further said, “’The Kudrat-e-Khuda’ education commission could not be implemented. A good education policy was adopted in 2010. That too could not be fully implemented. Such a situation has emerged due to the patronisation of fundamentalists.”

Writer, researcher and trustee of the Liberation War Museum, Mofidul Hoque thinks that the government is showing complacency.

“Changes have been made in the national curriculum. Some new textbooks have been added. There were efforts to create a big impact on society over this. A message has been conveyed through this decision which carries a bad omen for all.”

President of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, Shahriar Kabir disagreed with Mashiuzzaman over his comment that nobody was with the NCTB.

“The stance of the government is like the proverb - ‘running with the hare, hunting with hounds’. Hefazat even congratulated the prime minister after withdrawal of the books,” he said.

Helen Monisha Sarker, national general secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), presented a written statement on behalf of the organising agency at the roundtable.

She said, “The government has withdrawn two very important books unexpectedly without any discussion. It is creating an obstacle in the education of the students.

Rokeya Kabir, executive director of Bangladesh Women's Progress Association, also spoke at the roundtable meeting chaired and moderated by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president Fawzia Moslem.