Bangladesh has changed its history in textbooks for primary and secondary students to state that independence was declared in 1971 by former army major and president Zia-ur-Rehman.
According to The Daily Starthe books earlier mentioned that former president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had made the announcement, but his name has been replaced by Zia’s.
Moreover, the title of ‘Father of the Nation’ for Rahman has also been removed from the books.
New books with several changes were distributed to students from the beginning of the new year i.e. January 1.
National Curriculum and Textbook Board Chairman Professor AKM Riazul Hasan said that the new textbooks for the 2025 academic year will state that “On March 26, 1971, Zia-ur-Rehman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, He made another declaration of independence on his behalf.
After Sheikh Hasina became Prime Minister for the second time, textbooks since 2010 mentioned that Rahman declared independence in a wireless message just before his arrest.
Hasan added that this information was included in the free textbooks where the declaration was concerned.
Writer and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was part of the changing process, said they sought to free 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. [declaring independence]…”
It should be noted that the declaration of independence in the textbooks was changed according to the government.
Supporters of the Awami League believe that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman announced the independence while Rehman merely read out the announcement on the instructions of the former.