In the 2025 academic year, multiple books across various classes will undergo revisions.
Among these, the history-related book "Bangladesh O Bishwo Porichoy" will identify former President Ziaur Rahman as the announcer of Bangladesh's independence.
Additionally, figures such as Maulana Bhashani, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, and others will be given recognition based on their respective contributions.
In Bengali literature, "Bangladeshe July Abhuthan" by Abu Sayeed and Muddho, as well as movements' graffiti, will be included.
Conversely, works by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Professor Zafar Iqbal, and two other authors will be removed from the eleventh-grade Bengali syllabus.
Experts have noted that successive governments have historically revised textbooks to subtly impart their own ideologies onto students. As a result, a truly neutral perspective has rarely been presented.
This ongoing practice of inclusion or omission of historical facts reflects a governmental approach that mirrors political changes even 50 years post-independence.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) stated that during the previous government’s tenure, history was overly centralised, necessitating a revision.
Dr SMHafizur Rahman, a professor at the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University, remarked, "Students should have the opportunity to read accurate history. Repeated changes in historical narratives on the same subject lead to confusion. Thus, caution is required in this matter."
Key changes
According to NCTB officials, the new Bengali literature textbook will feature an essay titled "Bangladeshe July Abhuthan", alongside a poem.
Additionally, graffiti captured during movements in the capital and across the nation will be incorporated. The final pages will contain various religious maxims and timeless proverbs.
Furthermore, the "Bangladesh O Bishwo Porichoy" textbooks for grades four through nine and ten will also see alterations. The segment on the Liberation War history will replace "26 March, Bangabandhu's Independence Declaration" with the assertion that on 26 March, Ziaur Rahman announced independence. The text may state that Ziaur Rahman declared independence on 26 March, followed by Bangabandhu’s declaration on behalf of independence on 27 March.
For the eleventh and twelfth-grade Bengali literature books, various stories and novels will also be revised. This includes the removal of the essay "Bayannor Dingulo" from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's unfinished autobiography. Moreover, writings by Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Mahadev Saha will also be omitted.
Meanwhile, the essay "Amar Poth" by National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be replaced with "Jouboner Gaan", and Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s story "Griho" will be replaced with "Ardhangi".
