Committee formed to review 'Sharifa's story' in textbook

The Ministry of Education has formed a high-level expert committee to review the inclusion of "Sharifar golpo" (Sharifa's Story) in a class-VII textbook, in the wake of controversies.

"The five-member committee will assist the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) through a more in-depth review of the matter," reads a circular of the ministry issued yesterday. 

Islamic Arabic University Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdur Rashid has been made the convener of the committee. Other members include Islamic Foundation Governor Mufti Maulana Kofil Uddin Sarkar, NCTB Member Mashiuzzaman, Dhaka University's Institute of Education and Research Director Professor Abdul Halim, and Dhaka Alia Madrasah Principal Mohammad Abdur Rashid.

The story discusses the experiences and challenges faced by a third gender or "Hijra" individual.

In the story, the main character, Sharif, though born male at birth, later in life identifies himself as a woman and adopts the name Sharifa. Subsequently, Sharifa chooses to live as a member of the "Hijra" community.

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 21 January, Asif Mahtab in a Facebook post said the authorities of Brac University "terminated" him. With this, discussions both in favour of and against Asif escalated on social media and on the university campus.

In protest, a group of Brac University students staged a demonstration on Tuesday. Despite unproductive discussions with university officials, representatives of the protesting students called for boycotts of class and BRAC products. 

Meanwhile, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury at the Secretariat on Tuesday told reporters if any inconsistency is found in the story, it will be amended.

However, on Wednesday, there was no visible presence of protesters, and regular campus activities, including classes, exams, and orientation, proceeded smoothly, as reported by a university communication official.

Asif Mahtab told The Business Standard on Tuesday, "I have not officially received any letter from BRAC. Part-time faculty contracts undergo renewal on a semester basis. The process for obtaining the renewal paperwork usually takes two weeks. On Sunday night, I received a call telling me they will not renew the contract. No explanation was provided regarding the reason for my termination."

Mahila Parishad slams Asif 

The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad strongly condemned the part-time teacher at Brac University who urged students to tear out pages containing "Sharifa's Story" 

from the book.

They expressed anger at the attempt to incite "destabilisation" and misrepresent the Hijra community as "transgender" by spreading hate speech.

Highlighting Bangladesh's commitment to United Nations' SDGs and fostering respect for human rights, the organisation condemned the teacher's action as "unacceptable" and against human rights.

They also urged the state to uphold equal rights for all and emphasised the role of civil society and educational institutions in shaping respectful attitudes towards marginalised communities.