Prof Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal has expressed sorrow and disappointment over the reported plagiarism in the class VII science textbooks, an incident that has sparked criticism among the citizens and netizens of the country.
National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) sources said there are two books for class VII science.
In one of those books, several parts were taken from the National Geographic website and the Bangla translation was done using Google Translate.
The book has been edited by Prof Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal. However, five teachers worked on a panel to write the book. They are - Prof Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, Prof Haseena Khan, Prof Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Khan, Prof Dr Mustak Ibn Ayub, and Assistant Professor Rony Basak.
Acknowledging the fault, Prof Zafar Iqbal and Prof Haseena Khan on Monday released a statement.
The statement said that they have read an opinion piece in the national daily Prothom Alo on the book's “Research Lessons” chapter, alleging plagiarism.
The piece mentioned several parts of the books are directly copied from the National Geography website. “After analyzing the parts with the website, we have come to the conclusion that the allegations are true.”
Also Read: Plagiarism in textbooks: NCTB seeks explanation from writer panel
The statement added that several writers are involved in the writing process of a book. "Writers are expected to demonstrate responsibility when writing these kinds of books. It is a matter of sadness and disappointment to find out that such an allegation is true about a writer."
The statement said even though he and Prof Haseena did not write the parts, the fault remains on their shoulders as they are members of the panel.
What errors are in the book?
On page three of the first chapter named “Research Lessons”, it is written: “Biodiversity refers to every living thing, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans. Scientists have estimated that there are around 8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence. However, only around 1.2 million species have been identified and described so far, most of which are insects. This means that millions of other organisms remain a complete mystery.”
These lines were taken directly from the National Geographic website and the Bangla translation was done using Google Translate.
The same textbook page has another passage directly copied from the same website, which says: "Over generations, all of the species that are currently alive today have evolved unique traits that make them distinct from other species. Organisms that have evolved to be so different from one another that they can no longer reproduce with each other are considered different species. All organisms that can reproduce with each other fall into one species."
Similarly, on page five, there is another passage that is directly copied from the website without citing it.
It reads: “All of the Earth's species work together to survive and maintain their ecosystems. For example, the grass in pastures feeds cattle. Cattle then produce manure that returns nutrients to the soil, which helps to grow more grass. This manure can also be used to fertilize cropland. Many species provide important benefits to humans, including food, clothing, and medicine.”
Besides, the textbook also contains several pictures that are taken from various websites without any credit or attribution.
