 "How Bangladesh is rewriting its history of 1971 Liberation War in school textbooks")
History is written by the victors, is the popular adage. And in Bangladesh, it is proving true with the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government now looking to rewrite the country’s history in school textbooks.
What are we talking about? Read on to find out.
Changes in Bangladeshi history textbooks
A Daily Star report states that textbooks in Bangladesh will now be changed to state that Ziaur Rahman — not ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — declared the country’s independence in 1971. Moreover, the textbooks have also removed Mujib’s title of ‘Father of the Nation’.
Prof AKM Reazul Hassan, chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), was quoted as telling the daily that the new textbooks for the 2025 academic year will state that “on March 26, 1971, Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he made another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu”.
The new textbooks are meant for primary and secondary students.
When asked why the text in the books was being revised, writer and researcher Rakhal Raha, who was involved in the process, said they tried to free the textbooks from “exaggerated, imposed history”.
“Those who revised the textbooks found that it wasn’t fact-based information that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent the wireless message (declaring independence) while being arrested by the Pakistani army, and so they decided to remove it.”
Not the first time, though
Notably, this hasn’t been the first time that such changes have been made to textbooks in Bangladesh. In fact, history has often been rewritten in textbooks. The person who declared independence in Bangladesh has changed as per the dispensation in power.
Supporters of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina , maintain that it was him who made the announcement. However, followers of Ziaur Rahman, founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and husband of current BNP chief Khaleda Zia, believe it was him to do so.
According to some NCTB officials when Awami League was in power between 1996 and 2001, the textbooks said that Bangabandhu made the declaration of independence while Ziaur Rahman read out the announcement. On the other hand, when the BNP was in power from 2001-2006, it was stated that Ziaur had made the declaration.
When asked if the present changes would create a stir, Reazul Hassan said, “Of course not… This isn’t a matter related to Awami League or BNP. This is a national issue. We want to give due recognition to individuals like Maulana Bhashani and Tajuddin Ahmed, who also played significant roles in the Liberation War. We’re trying to make sure that focusing on factual representation remains consistent.”
However, one can’t help but note the timing. Since the interim government took over control in Bangladesh following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is slowly but surely being wiped out in the country. First, it was his residence — Bangabandhu Bhaban or Dhanmondi 32 — and his statue that was vandalised. Even his portrait was removed from the official residence and workplace of the president. And last but not least, early December 2024, the interim government removed Rahman’s face from currency notes .
What history reveals
While both sides continue to debate on who actually made the independence declaration in 1971, what does history say? Historically, there is ample evidence to show that it was Mujibur Rahman and not Ziaur who made the proclamation on March 27, 1971.
According to the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA’s) now-unclassified report to the White House on March 26, 1971: “Pakistan was thrust into civil war today when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the east wing of the two-part country to be ‘the sovereign independent People’s Republic of Bangla Desh’”.
Newspapers across the world also reported that Bangabandhu made the proclamation on March 27, 1971. An AP report then said, “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nationalist leader of East Pakistan, was arrested only hours after he had proclaimed his region independent…”.
Interestingly, Ziaur Rahman, who was then a major in the Pakistan Army, read out another declaration on March 27, 1971, which too was widely reported.
However, since then it has been an argument as to who made the first declaration. In fact, last March, Sheikh Hasina said the history of proclamation of independence in 1971 was distorted in the years following his assassination.
“Bangabandhu’s independence proclamation was spread through wireless and his party men reached it elsewhere in the country. But after his assassination, the history was distorted.
“In the distorted history, it was said one major standing on a drum blew the whistle and Bangladesh got independence. But, any country can’t attain independence this way. If it happened, then Bangladesh’s history would have been written differently.”
However, all said and done, the constitution of Bangladesh states that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made a declaration of independence at Dacca on March 26, 1971.
It is left to be seen what happens next in Bangladesh.
With inputs from agencies
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