New textbooks in BD say Ziaur Rahman declared independence

DHAKA: Bangladesh has introduced new text books for primary and secondary students which state that former army major and president Ziaur Rahman declared the independence in 1971 instead of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, The Daily Star reported.

The books previously mentioned that Rahman had made the declaration. Moreover, the title “Father of the Nation” for Rahman has also been removed.

The new books with several changes were distributed among the students from the start of new year — January 1.

National Curriculum and Textbook Board’s Chairman Professor AKM Reazul Hassan said the new books for the 2025 academic year will state that “on March 26, 1971, Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he made another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu”.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s tenure as the prime minister for the second time, the textbooks since 2010 had been mentioning that Rahman declared the independence via a wireless message just before his arrest.

Hassan added that the information was included in the free textbooks where the matter of the declaration was mentioned.

Writer and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was a part of the changing process, said they tried to free the textbooks from “exaggerated, imposed history”. “Those who revised the textbooks found that it wasn’t a fact-based information that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent the wireless message (declaring independence)...”