Amid growing controversy mostly on social media over a story featured in a textbook for seventh graders, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel has pledged to fix the issue if any such “confusion” is found there.
“We plan to consult with experts about the “Story of Sharifa” discussed in the textbook. If there's any confusion or misrepresentation, changes will be made,” Nowfel told reporters at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday.
A chapter called “The Story of Sharifa,” featuring a transgender character, in the textbook previously sparked debate, and currently some are protesting over its content.
The minister emphasized the need for a thorough discussion with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to understand why the story is eliciting such reactions.
How did the crisis escalate last?
The debate deepened further after BRAC University on Sunday terminated the services of a teacher for criticizing the incorporation of transgender issues in the textbook of the new curriculum.
Asif Mahtab, who was sacked as an adjunct faculty at the Philosophy Department of the university, on Monday told journalists that the authorities terminated him and asked him not to come to the university “without assigning any reason.”
The university authorities, on Sunday night, told him verbally that they would not renew their contract with him, Mahtab added.
Earlier on Friday, Mahtab at a seminar on the new education curriculum in Dhaka tore out some pages of the textbook, drawing mixed reactions from different quarters.
Nowfel’s take on the book controversy
The minister expressed concern about certain groups’ tendency to exploit religious sentiments and instigate instability and anarchy in the country.
“A few days ago, some recommendations were given to me from an organization. Some Qawmi madrasa teachers claimed that the word ‘transgender’ has been used in the textbook. However, upon examination, it was clarified that the term used was ‘third gender’,” he said.
“In our society, third-gender individuals, commonly known as ‘Hijra,’ are legally recognized citizens with rights," the minister clarified.
He further said: “If the presentation of the story leads to misunderstandings and controversies, we will discuss with experts whether we can modify its presentation while respecting the dignity of the third gender individuals. This is a specialized issue, and we don’t want to comment at a policy level.”
On the sacking of Mahtab, Nowfel said: “We will discuss this matter with Brac University and understand the issue through the University Grants Commission, following which a detailed discussion will be held.”
Protests over Mahtab’s termination
Mahtab’s followers on Tuesday formed a human chain in front of the BRAC University premises to protest his sacking.
On Monday, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Dhaka district south unit and Muktijoddha Projonmo Council in separate statements threatened to boycott all entities, including BRAC University, BRAC Bank, bKash and Aarong, if his job was not reinstated.
The Jatiya Shikkhak Forum and Nagorik Parishad, too, protested the development.
As the “boycott” call grew louder on social media, the university turned off the comment box on its Facebook page after a post at 5:30pm on Monday.
BRAC University’s explanation
In a statement on Monday, the university said Mahtab served as a contractual teacher.
“However, he is currently not under any contract with the university,” it said, adding, the university was committed to maintaining the confidentiality of its employees and their contracts.
“The university upholds freedom of expression of its faculty and students and promotes collaborative, inclusive, and collegial conduct,” the statement also read.
Previous major LGBT harassment, attacks
On November 24, 2023, transgender rights activist Hochemin Islam was barred from attending an event at North South University in Dhaka.
In an immediate Facebook post, Hochemin wrote that she was stopped for trying to go there to “promote LGBT communities."
Her protest triggered a debate on social media, with some Islamic orators making inflammatory remarks on the transgender issue.
In 2015, the Netherlands-based human rights group Global Human Rights Defence in a report said: “LGBT people are not considered as equal citizens of Bangladesh and face institutionalized discrimination in access to justice and public spaces.”
Two LGBTQ rights activists -- Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabby Tonoy -- were killed by Islamists in Dhaka on April 25, 2016.
Homosexuality is illegal in Bangladesh, whose law allows life imprisonment for “unnatural intercourse”.
In December 2008, the country was among 59 nations that opposed the recognition of LGBTQ rights by the UN.
