Thu Jan 02 13:13:33 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh Textbook Revision Sparks Controversy Over 1971 Independence Declaration
**Dhaka, Bangladesh** – A major revision of Bangladesh’s primary and secondary school textbooks has ignited a heated debate over the country’s 1971 independence declaration. The new texts credit Major Ziaur Rahman with the declaration, contradicting previous versions that attributed it to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The *Daily Star* reports that the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) chairman, Prof. A.K.M. Riazul Hasan, confirmed the change. He stated that the textbooks now reflect that Ziaur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence on March 26, 1971, and made another declaration on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 27. The full details of both declarations are included, according to Hasan.
A member of the textbook revision committee, Rakhal Raha, justified the change, saying it aimed to remove “exaggerated and imposed” historical narratives. The committee claims that the previously held narrative of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring independence via wireless message while under arrest by the Pakistani army is factually inaccurate.
However, Awami League members strongly dispute this, insisting that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman himself made the declaration and that Ziaur Rahman merely read it out following his instructions. They view the revision as a deliberate attempt to downplay Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s role in the country’s liberation.
The controversy comes amidst ongoing political turmoil following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country on August 5th, 2024, after widespread protests. These protests saw the destruction of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statues and memorials, and an interim government’s decision to remove his image from currency notes and cancel the public holiday commemorating his death on August 15th. The textbook revisions are seen by many as a further attempt to diminish his legacy.
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