According to a media report, Bangladesh has introduced new textbooks which state that Ziaur Rahman had declared the country’s independence in 1971, but instead of the previous textbooks, the credit for this declaration was given to Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Is.
The Daily Star newspaper said there are several changes in the new textbooks for primary and secondary students. The textbooks also removed the title of “Father of the Nation” for Mujibur Rahman.
The new textbooks for the 2025 academic year will state that “On March 26, 1971, Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he made another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu,” the newspaper quoted Professor A.K.M. Rezaul Hasan was quoted as saying. , Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, as stated.
He said this information is included in the free textbooks where the announcement is made.
According to the paper, author and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was involved in the process of making changes to the textbooks, said that she attempted to free the textbooks from “exaggerated, imposed histories”.
“Those who revised the textbooks found that it was not fact-based information that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had sent the wireless message (Declaration of Independence) while he was arrested by the Pakistani Army, and so they decided to remove it.” The newspaper said that earlier, in textbooks from classes one to 10, the information about who declared independence was changed according to the government in power.
It is widely believed among Awami League supporters that Mujibur Rahman had made the declaration and that Ziaur Rahman, an army chief and later sector commander in the Liberation War, had only read the declaration on Mujib’s instructions. Earlier, Bangladesh had decided to begin the process of removing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s image from its currency notes along with demonetizing the old notes.
The move came after the removal of his daughter Sheikh Hasina as prime minister on August 5. His statues and frescoes bearing his image were targeted after his daughter fled to India.
The interim government also canceled August 15 as a national holiday to commemorate the assassination of Mujibur Rahman.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
