Hefazat condemns TIB criticism of textbook revision committee’s cancellation

Leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam has expressed strong opposition yesterday to a recent statement from Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) regarding the government’s cancellation of the Textbook Revision Coordination Committee.
In a press release, Hefazat Amir Mohibullah Babunagari and Secretary-General Sajidur Rahman condemned TIB for labelling Islamic public opinion as “fundamentalism”, characterising such rhetoric as fascist.
The Hefazat leaders raised concerns that TIB’s stance is aimed at promoting a vision of Bangladesh that systematically excludes Islamic perspectives.
They described this as an effort to impose extreme secular fascism, which they allege has been increasingly apparent under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
The statement referenced the ongoing anti-Islamic rhetoric linked to the West’s “War on Terror” and recalled the historical persecution of scholars and Islamists during Hasina’s regime.
The Hefazat leaders said while scholars have persistently addressed concerns over national textbooks, the recent exclusion of educational experts from the newly formed committee proved a troubling discrimination. However, there was no discussion or questioning from the secularists regarding this issue.
“Instead, they want to marginalise Islamic public opinion by labelling it as ‘fundamentalism’. We strongly protest their fascist language and behaviour,” Hefazat leaders said in the statement.
Furthermore, the Hefazat leaders in the statement accused several NGOs, including BRAC and TIB, of pursuing imperialist agendas disguised as secularism. They alleged these organisations receive funding from Western interests seeking to maintain influence in Bangladesh. For this reason, they are actively working to corrupt national textbooks by introducing various controversial Western values.
“In contrast, Islamic public opinion serves as a substantial obstacle to these agendas, being rooted in the country’s interests, cultural heritage, religious consciousness, and social values.”
Scholars and the Islamic community will unite to counter any destructive imperialist initiatives, the statement said.
In a statement on Monday, TIB criticised the government’s decision to dissolve the NCTB’s coordination committee tasked with amending textbooks.
They said the interim government is compromising by succumbing to the propaganda and threats posed by self-interested factions.
The cancellation of the coordination committee to amend and revise textbooks is such a troubling example, which not only represents a concession to fundamentalism and communalism but also betrays the very aspirations of ‘New Bangladesh’ for a non-discriminatory, non-communal, and democratic future, the TIB statement said.
The Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi on Monday also condemned the government’s decision to cancel the coordination committee, which was established to revise free textbooks.