23 January 2024 | Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel said on 23 January 2024 that the government would consider changing “Sharifa’s Story” in the seventh-grade History and Social Science textbook if any confusion or misrepresentation was found in its presentation. His remarks came amid growing controversy over the story, which presents the experiences of a Hijra person as part of the national curriculum. The controversy had intensified after Asif Mahtab Utsha, a part-time lecturer at BRAC University, publicly tore pages containing the story during a seminar organised by Jatiya Shikkhok Forum on 19 January, with video of the incident subsequently circulating on social media.
Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat in Dhaka, the education minister said the content would be examined in consultation with experts and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). Responding to objections raised over the terminology and content of the story, he said Hijra people were legally recognised citizens of Bangladesh and had rights under the law. He also stated that some groups were using religious sentiments around the issue to create instability, while saying that any genuine confusion in the textbook should be addressed through expert review.
Nowfel said that if experts identified confusion or problems in the way the story had been presented, the government would make the necessary changes. At the same time, he said any review should ensure that Hijra people were not disrespected. His statement marked the government’s first public indication during the controversy that the textbook content could be revised following the objections and debate surrounding “Sharifa’s Story.”
References
Bangla Tribune — ‘শরীফা’ গল্পে বিভ্রান্তি থাকলে পরিবর্তন আনা হবে: শিক্ষামন্ত্রী — 23 January 2024
United News of Bangladesh (UNB) — Education Minister Addresses Controversy over ‘Sharifa’s Story’ in Textbook — 23 January 2024
The Financial Express — Education Minister Addresses Controversy over ‘Sharifa’s Story’ — 23 January 2024
Dhaka Tribune — Education Minister Addresses Controversy over ‘Sharifa’s Story’ — 23 January 2024
