Sharifa's Tale: Probe Committee Formed To Assess The Story

The Ministry of Education has formed a five-member investigation committee to assess the story "Sharifa's Tale" featured in the seventh-grade history and social science textbook.

This particular story, part of the "Similarities and Differences Between People" chapter, has been a subject of recent discussions.

In a press release today, Mohammad Abul Khair, the ministry's information and public relations officer, announced that the committee, led by Prof Abdul Rashid, the vice chancellor of the Islamic Arabic University, aims to conduct a thorough review of the story to assist the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). Other committee members include Mufti Maulana Kafil Uddin Sarker, governor of the Islamic Foundation; Prof Moshiuzzaman, a member of the NCTB; Abdul Halim, director of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Dhaka University; and Prof Mohammad Abdur Rashid, principal of Dhaka Alia Madrasa.

The committee's task is to scrutinize the content and provide recommendations to the NCTB. This initiative follows recent criticism from a teacher at a private university regarding the inclusion of transgender issues in the textbook, leading to both supportive and opposing protests.