Remove Sharifa’s Tale from textbook: Education ministry
The education ministry has decided to remove “Sharifa’s Tale” from the History and Social Science textbook of class 7.
The decision was taken following recommendations of a probe committee, reports media.
The ministry has instructed the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to take necessary steps.
“The story would be replaced with another story on the same topic, but with a different narrative,” an NCTB official told media.
Sharifa’s Tale discusses the experiences and challenges faced by a third gender or “Hijra” individual.
However, the story came under the spotlight when Asif Mahtab, a part-time lecturer at Brac University, objected to the inclusion of the story in the textbook, arguing that “students were being introduced to transgender and homosexual concepts through the story”.
A video depicting Asif Mahtab tearing down the pages of the textbook, which included the story, at the event went viral on social media.
On 23 January, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury at the Secretariat told reporters if any inconsistency is found in the story, it will be amended.
