Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) expressed deep concern yesterday over the interim government's compromise on policy decisions and said it set a dangerous precedent by bowing to self-interested radical threats.
In a press statement, TIB criticised the government's decision to cancel the coordination committee tasked with amending and revising textbooks under the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).
They said this decision undermined the vision of a non-discriminatory and non-communal "New Bangladesh".
In the statement, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the "New Bangladesh" should be a nation built on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, and accountability, free from religious or ideological imposition.
"However, we are alarmed by efforts to spread malice, hatred, and hostility against non-communal spirit and pluralism, which are gaining momentum," he added.
"The interim government is compromising by succumbing to the propaganda and threats posed by self-interested factions. A troubling example of this is the cancellation of the coordination committee to amend and revise textbooks, which not only represents a concession to fundamentalism and communalism but also betrays the very aspirations of 'New Bangladesh' for a non-discriminatory, non-communal, and democratic future," he added.
He further said, "No matter how overpowered the oppressive and communal forces that have emerged from the ruins of authoritarianism are, and no matter how hard they try to impose their discriminatory ideology on society, we firmly believe that the mainstream of the anti-discrimination movement will not allow such forces to thrive."
The strength of the interim government lies in the core values of the anti-discrimination movement -- pluralism, inclusiveness, equality, and non-communalism.
In the statement, TIB hoped that the government would continue to uphold its responsibility to reform the state and steadfastly avoid compromising with all forms of malign forces, especially communal and fundamentalist factions.
The NCTB is responsible for the development of curriculums and the production and distribution of textbooks in primary and secondary education.
Earlier in June this year, the NCTB removed a story titled "Sharifa's Tale" from the 7th-grade history and social science book amid criticisms from Islamist groups.
In February 2023, it dropped two textbooks "History and Social Science: An Inquiry-based Reader" for 6th and 7th graders, giving in to the pressure from different Islamist groups that said the books were promoting the "debatable" Darwin's theory of evolution and demeaning the Islamic attire for women.
Meanwhile, 122 citizens, including writers, teachers, and political activists, in a statement yesterday demanded that the coordination committee for revising the textbooks be reinstated.
The citizens said they were concerned by the rising influence of a particular religious group that is replacing the space once occupied by the Awami fascism.
"This group, by promoting a one-sided and manipulative interpretation of religion, is spreading hatred and intolerance against the pluralistic cultural fabric of society, thereby threatening social peace, democratic atmosphere, and the rights of diverse opinions and identities based on religion, language, ethnicity, and gender," the statement said.
PROTEST AT DU
Students of Dhaka University yesterday protested the cancellation of the textbook revision committee and the labelling of Professor Samina Luthfa of the university's sociology department as "anti-Islam."
The protest rally organised by general students took place at the foot of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University.
Referring to her significant contributions to the student movement, they argued that such baseless labelling hinders efforts to create a non-discriminatory and just Bangladesh.
The protest followed the recent cancellation of a textbook revision committee by the Ministry of Education after objections from certain religious organisations regarding two of its members.
