The High Court has summoned the chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) directing him to appear before it on November 29 for not complying with its earlier order to bring correction at the errors regarding the history of the country’s Liberation War in some textbooks of secondary and higher secondary levels.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi passed the order on Wednesday after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard. Lawyer Ali Mustafa Khan appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Barrister Kazi Maynul Hassan represented the state.
Mr Mustafa Khan said the HC issued a rule in 2021 asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks as to why they should not be directed to take steps to amend the mistakes in the textbooks. Education Secretary; National Curriculum and Textbook Board Chairman, Member (Curriculum) and Secretary; and other respondents were asked to comply with the rule within four weeks.
In continuation of the rule hearing the HC on Wednesday summoned the chairman of NCTB, added the lawyer. Md Alamgir Alam, a resident of Jatrabari area of the capital also a guardian of a student of the Viqarunnisa Noon School & College, filed the writ petition. Following the petition a HC bench on September 26 in 2021 issued the rule.
Mustafa Khan said that his client has found more than 100 errors about the history of Bangladesh’s Liberation War in some textbooks of secondary and higher secondary levels. It has been written in the book named ‘Bangladesher Itihas O Bishwa Savyata’ (History of Bangladesh and World Civilization) of Classes IX and X that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a political leader in 1969.
This is incorrect as Bangabandhu was the president of Nikhil Pakistan Awami League (All Pakistan Awami League) then, he said. In the same book, it has been stated that Bangabandhu was the president of the then Mujibnagar Government, which is a blunder as he was the president of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh, Khan said.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been termed as Sheikh Mujib instead of Bangabandhu in different pages of the book titled as “Bangladesh O Bishwa Parichoy (Bangladesh and World Identification)” of Classes IX and X.
