Mujibur Rahman's Legacy Trimmed, Details Of 1971 War Curtailed As Bangladesh Revises School Textbooks

Bangladesh’s National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has implemented notable revisions to school textbooks for the 2025 academic year, altering the portrayal of the country’s history. These changes come in the wake of the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and are seen as part of the interim government’s efforts to reshape the national narrative, according to the Indian Express.

Among the key revisions, two iconic photographs featuring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding President of Bangladesh and Sheikh Hasina’s father, alongside Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, have been removed. These images included one from their joint address at a Kolkata rally on February 6, 1972, and another of Gandhi being greeted in Dhaka on March 17, 1972.

However, the role of the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini in the 1971 war remains intact, including the depiction of Pakistan’s surrender on December 16, 1971, according to The Indian Express.

Sheikh Hasina, Mujibur Rahman’s Roles Minimised

One of the most striking changes is the complete removal of Sheikh Hasina from all textbooks. Her customary message to students, previously printed on the back cover, has been replaced with graffiti images from the July 2024 uprising that led to her downfall, reports showed.

A team of 57 experts commissioned by the Bangladesh education ministry oversaw these revisions, affecting 441 textbooks for primary, secondary, and higher secondary students. More than 40 crore new books have been printed for the current academic year.