Paris, France: France-based human rights organizations JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) and Solidarity International LGBTQI+ (SIL) express deep concern over the recent recommendation by the expert committee formed by the Ministry of Education of Bangladesh to remove "Sharifa's Tale" from the seventh-grade social science textbook.JMBF and SIL strongly urge the Ministry of Education to reject this recommendation from the biased committee. Instead, they call for the formation of a new committee led by a Justice of the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. This new committee should include education specialists, social scientists, and members of civil society to thoroughly investigate the content in question.
According to a report published in Daily Prothom Alo on May 17, 2024, the high-level expert committee of the Ministry of Education submitted its report recommending the removal of "Sharifa's Tale" from the chapter on similarities and differences between people in the seventh-grade history and social science books. The committee cited various inaccuracies as reasons for their recommendation. The Ministry of Education is now considering its next steps.
The chapter in question, part of the newly designed curriculum, includes a public awareness lesson on the transgender community, sparking debate. This issue gained attention when a part-time teacher at BRAC University tore the pages of the book during an event, with the video going viral on social media. In response, the education ministry formed a five-member probe committee on January 24, 2024, to review "Sharifa's Tale". The committee was convened by Abdur Rashid, Vice Chancellor of Islamic Arabic University, and included Mufti Maulana Kafil Uddin Sarkar from the Islamic Foundation, Professor Md. Mashiuzzaman from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), Professor Abdul Halim from the Dhaka University Institute of Education and Research (IER), and Professor Mohammad Abdur Rashid, Principal of Dhaka Aliya Madrasa.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder and President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France, has protested the committee's recommendations, stating that excluding gender-diverse community members from educational content is unacceptable, as the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh guarantees equality and equal rights for all, regardless of gender, caste, religion, or any other distinction.
Robert Simon, President of Solidarity International LGBTQI+ (SIL), stated, "The government should uphold values of diversity, non-discrimination, equality, tolerance, and co-existence by including stories of gender-diverse individuals in the textbooks to educate the future generation."
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France and Solidarity International LGBTQI+ stand firm in advocating for inclusive education that reflects human rights and constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination, ensuring that all students, regardless of their gender identity, are represented and respected in educational materials.
Thank you.
Advocate Shahanur Islam
Founder President
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
Email: shahanur.islam@jmbf.org
Cell/WhatsApp/Signal: +33(0)7 83 95 23 15
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