Six NCTB officials removed over school textbook errors

The government has transferred six high-level officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) over serious errors in the school textbooks.

Primary Curriculum Wing member Md Abdul Mannan has been transferred to Jhenaidah's Govt KC College while NCTB Editor Gouranga Lal Sarkar to Hatia Govt College in Noakhali.

NCTB Specialists Md Mosle Uddin Sarkar and Md Hannan Mian have been transferred to government colleges in Patuakhali and Thakurgaon's Pirganj Upazila respectively.

The education ministry issued the order on Wednesday, where it said the four have to leave their current posting within Thursday.

Late on Tuesday, the ministry issued the order transferring NCTB Secretary Md Imrul Hasan to a college in Thakurgaon's Pirganj Upazila and Research Officer Rebeca Sultana Lipi to the Shahid Suhrwardy College in Dhaka.  

Secretary Hasan will be replaced by Comilla Victoria College Associate Professor Md Nizamul Karim.

An education ministry official said the probe body formed over the errors in textbooks, which triggered widespread sarcasm on social media, found these officials responsible.

NCTB Chief Editor Pritish Kumar Sarkar and Senior Expert Lana Humaira Khan have been put on 'special duty' based on the findings of a primary investigation.

The ministry has also suspended the Board's Artist cum Designer Sujaul Abedin.

The NCTB works under the education ministry even though it publishes books for primary schools that fall under the purview of primary and mass education ministry.

So far, the government has initiated measures against nine NCTB officials, but it's yet to send amended textbooks to the schools.