Editor-DN
Dhaka:
According to media reports, Bangladesh has introduced new textbooks that say Zia-ur-Rehman declared the country’s independence in 1971, replacing earlier ones with the declaration attributed to founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. was credited.
The Daily Star newspaper said that several changes have been made in the new textbooks for primary and secondary students. The title of “Father of the Nation” for Mujibur Rehman was also removed from the textbooks.
“On March 26, 1971, Zia-ur-Rehman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he issued another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu,” the newspaper said in the new textbooks for the 2025 school year. said with reference to Professor AKM Riazul Hasan. Chairman of National Curriculum and Textbook Board said.
He added that the information has been included in the free textbooks where the issue of declaration was mentioned.
According to the newspaper, author and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was involved in the process of making changes to the textbooks, said that they tried to free the textbooks from “exaggerated, imposed history”.
“Those who revised the textbooks found that it was not factual information that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had sent a wireless message (declaration of independence) while he was being captured by the Pakistani army, and so they Decided to remove.” Earlier, in textbooks for grades 1 to 10, the information about who declared independence was changed according to the government in power, the paper said.
It is widely believed among Awami League supporters that the announcement was made by Mujib-ur-Rehman and that Zia-ur-Rehman, an army major and later a sector commander in the War of Independence, merely read out the announcement on Mujib’s instructions. was Earlier, Bangladesh decided to start the process of erasing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portrait from its currency notes as it phased out the old notes.
The move came after his daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister on August 5. When his daughter fled to India, his statues and murals were targeted.
The interim government also canceled the national holiday on August 15 on the occasion of Mujibur Rahman’s murder.
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
