Nearly 40 million primary and secondary students across Bangladesh have started receiving new textbooks under the interim government’s curriculum. A significant shift in both content and presentation is evident in these revised books. Analysis shows that new stories and poems have been included, leading to the removal of many previously featured works.

Notably, the writings of Begum Rokeya, a pioneer of women’s emancipation, have been excluded. Additionally, works by prominent authors such as Selina Hossain, Syed Shamsul Haq, Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Rokonuzzaman Khan, Nirmalendu Goon, and Kamal Chowdhury have also been removed.

The most striking changes are seen in the portrayal of history. Exaggerated accounts of the Liberation War, the emergence of independent Bangladesh, and biographies of political leaders have been streamlined, reducing overt glorification. Following the public uprising on August 5, the Awami League’s curriculum was suspended, and textbooks were revised based on the 2012 syllabus, with modifications by 41 experts from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).

For grades 1 to 5, seven literary pieces were removed, replaced by eight new ones. For instance, a second-grade textbook now includes “The Lion and the Mouse” while removing a piece about Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In its place, a narrative about Kazi Nazrul Islam has been added. Visual content, such as the Padma Bridge and the Mongol Shobhajatra, has also been updated.

For grades 9 and 10, seven prose pieces and four poems have been removed, with two new essays added, including one on the July uprising. Exclusions include works by Rabindranath Tagore, Selina Hossain, Humayun Ahmed, and Zafar Iqbal. However, a new anthology about the July Revolution has been included. The English curriculum has seen changes too, with new chapters on themes like loneliness and graffiti replacing older ones such as “Father of the Nation.”

Professor Riazul Hasan, NCTB Chairman, clarified that alternative writings on similar themes have been included to ensure balance and relevance, particularly on topics like the Liberation War.