Thu Jan 02 19:03:01 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh Rewrites History: New Textbooks Credit Ziaur Rahman with Independence Declaration
**DHAKA** – The Bangladesh government is sparking controversy by rewriting school history textbooks, altering the narrative surrounding the country’s 1971 independence. The revised texts, set for release in the 2025 academic year, credit former president Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, with declaring independence on March 26th, 1971, instead of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the previously recognized “Father of the Nation.”
The change removes the long-held assertion that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence via wireless message before his arrest by the Pakistani army on March 16th. The new textbooks claim Ziaur Rahman made a further declaration on March 27th, acting on behalf of Mujibur Rahman.
National Curriculum and Textbook Board chairman AKM Reazul Hassan defended the revision, citing a lack of evidence supporting the wireless message claim. Writer and researcher Rakhal Raha, involved in the textbook revisions, stated the previous version contained “exaggerated, imposed history.” He claimed the change reflects a move towards fact-based information.
This is not the first instance of textbook revisions concerning the declaration of independence. Previous administrations, both Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have altered the narrative in the past, highlighting the politically charged nature of this historical event. The removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s “Father of the Nation” title from the textbooks further underscores the significant shift in historical representation.
First Piper 