The High Court (HC) has issued a rule questioning the misinformation about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Liberation War in the textbooks of school and college.
The higher court also summoned Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and a member of the institution in this regard. They were asked to appear before the court in person on November 10 to explain the textbook gaffe.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mustafizur Rahman issued the rule on Sunday (September 26) following a writ petition.
Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar confirmed the matter. Advocate Ali Muztaba Ali Khan took part in the hearing on the writ petition.
It was known that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was mentioned as ‘party leader’ in line number 9 on page 174 in one of the textbooks of Class Nine-Ten ‘Bangladesher Itihas O Bishwa Sobhyata (History of Bangladesh and World Civilization)’. The information is not right. However, it will be president of Awami League Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On page 187, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was termed as the acting president of the Mujibnagar government. However, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was called the President of the Republic in the declaration of independence. The line of Article 11 of the Constitution has also been misrepresented in the same textbook.
‘Bangabhaban’ was written as ‘President Bhaban’ on page 29 in textbook ‘Bangladesh O Bishwa Porichoy (Bangladesh and World Introduction)’ of Class Nine-Ten. At the same time, the tenure of the prime minister was mentioned as five years. But there no any mention of the work or tenure of the prime minister in the constitution.
Some guardians of schoolchildren wrote to the NCTB to correct the gaffes and mistakes, but the NCTB authorities did not respond to the guardians. At last, one of the guardians filed a writ petition to the High Court. A lawyer of the Supreme Court filed the writ on behalf of the guardian.
The lawyer said that they requested the HC bench to hear the petition soon. Because, if these misinformation and mistakes are not corrected in the new academic year, the books containing wrong information will be in the hands of the students again.