Bangladesh scripts history: Sheikh Hasina's father no longer credited with declaring independence in textbooks

Bangladesh has introduced new textbooks that state Ziaur Rahman declared the country’s independence in 1971, replacing previous editions that credited the founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with the declaration, according to a media report. 

The new textbooks, which will have several changes, are currently being printed and will be distributed among the students from January 1, as per the report. The updated textbooks for primary and secondary school students feature several changes, The Daily Star reported. Notably, they also omit the title ‘Father of the Nation’ for Mujibur Rahman. 

For the 2025 academic year, the new textbooks 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,” as quoted by Professor AKM Reazul Hassan, chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board. 

This information is included in the free textbooks, where the declaration of independence is mentioned, he added.  

Writer and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was involved in the textbook revisions, said they aimed to remove “exaggerated, imposed history” from the textbooks. 

“The revision team concluded that it wasn’t factually accurate to state that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent the wireless message declaring independence while being arrested by the Pakistani army, so they decided to omit it,” he explained. 

According to the report, the content regarding who made the Declaration of Independence has historically been altered to reflect the government in power at the time. 

Supporters of the Awami League widely believe that Mujibur Rahman made the declaration, with Ziaur Rahman — an Army major and later a sector commander in the Liberation War — merely reading it out at Mujib's instruction. 

In a related development, Bangladesh recently began phasing out currency notes featuring the image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, coinciding with the introduction of new notes. This move followed the ouster of his daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on August 5.  

Additionally, statues and murals depicting Mujibur Rahman were targeted after her departure, and the interim government canceled the national holiday on August 15, which commemorates his assassination. 

Monk’s bail petition rejected

A court in the southeastern port city of Chattogram on January 2 denied bail to Hindu monk and former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case. A group of 11 lawyers stood for him with a bail petition during the hearing for which Das appeared virtually.

“The hearing continued for some 30 minutes when (Metropolitan Sessions) Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam heard both the prosecution and the defence lawyers and then rejected his (Das') bail petition,” a court official said.

Das was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly “desecrating” the Bangladesh flag brought to Chattogram where subsequent violence over his arrest left a government prosecutor dead, sparking further tensions.