Dhaka, 25 January 2024
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has questioned Asif Mahtab’s qualifications as a teacher and condemned his remarks about the transgender/Hijra chapter in the new curriculum, describing his statements as “negative” and “hateful.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the women’s rights organization said Mahtab’s comments—and the subsequent mobilisations around them—have created “an unstable situation” in the country and are pushing the Hijra/transgender community toward greater insecurity through hateful propaganda about textbooks.
The group said the curriculum seeks to change long-standing negative attitudes toward a marginalized community that has historically been left behind in education and to shape students’ outlook in light of human rights. Mahila Parishad called on the state to ensure equal rights for all regardless of religion, caste, or gender identity, and urged schools, teachers, families, and civil society to help foster a positive perspective among students about the rights of the Hijra/transgender community. The statement also appealed for coexistence across religions, castes, and communities, and for the protection and human rights of marginalized groups.
The statement follows an incident last Friday in Dhaka where Mahtab—then a part-time philosophy teacher at BRAC University—tore pages from the Grade 7 History & Social Science textbook during a seminar, alleging the content “incites homosexuality.” The torn section featured “Sharifa’s Story,” a public-awareness lesson about the lives of Hijra people. Textbook contributors have countered that some groups are opposing the book without understanding it, as a nationwide debate has grown online.
Source:
bdnews24 (Bangla) — শিক্ষক হিসেবে আসিফ মাহতাবের যোগ্যতা প্রশ্নবিদ্ধ: মহিলা পরিষদ: bdnews24.com
Ajker Patrika (Bangla) — শিক্ষক আসিফ মাহতাব-কাণ্ড: পক্ষে জামায়াত ও হেফাজত, বিপক্ষে মহিলা পরিষদ: Ajkerpatrika
