Textbook board issues amendments to errors made in more textbooks

Two days after an embarrassing allegation of plagiarism on seventh-grade science textbooks was made public, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board or NCTB has admitted more errors on three separate textbooks for ninth and tenth graders. 

The errors and their amendments were detailed in a press note, issued by the board’s Chief Editor Dr Santosh Kumar Dhali. 

The textbooks in question are History of Bangladesh and World Civilisation, Bangladesh and Global Studies and Civics and Citizenship. 

THE NINE ERRORS AND THEIR AMENDMENTS

- On page 181 of the History of Bangladesh and World Civilisation book, the starting point of the Pakistani occupation army’s campaign against the Bengali-speaking people was listed as Mar 26, 1971. The amendment corrected it from Mar 25, 1971.

- On page 200 of the same book, Abu Sayeed Choudhury was addressed as chief justice of the country while he was presiding over the oath-taking ceremony of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Jan 12, 1972. The amendment says he was already sworn in as the president of Bangladesh prior to the event.

- On page 202, an additional paragraph was added after the first paragraph, under the title 'Background of 1972 Constitution’- The ideological position of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was reflected in the framing of the Constitution. Bangabandhu provided holistic guidance in the framing of the constitution. He actively issued instructions to the Constitution Committee on fundamental issues.

- On page 203, Jatiya Sangsad will be replaced by the legislature.

- On page 6 of Bangladesh and Global Studies book, Pakistan Khelafat-e-Rabbani Party was left out of the list of historic Jukto-Front Alliance, which won the election in 1954.

- On page 16 of the same book, the Razarbagh Police Lines and Pilkhana EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) Headquarters in Dhaka were published as Razarbagh Police Camp and Pilkhana EPR Camp.

- On the 28th page of the same book, the word ‘main’ was dropped from the following sentence- the preservation of the basic human rights of the common man is the main hallmark of the Constitution.

- The first paragraph under 'Powers and Duties of the President’ on page 57 of the Civics and Citizenship book will be replaced by: All administrative functions of the head of government of the State is conducted in his name. The president discharges all his duties on the advice of the prime minister except the ​​appointment of the prime minister and the chief justice. The President appoints ministers, state and deputy Ministers. The President is also responsible for appointing the top officers of the state (accountant general, ambassadors and other high officials). The President is the Supreme Commander of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The President appoints the heads of the three forces (Army, Air Force and Navy).

- The first paragraph under 'Powers and Duties of the Prime Minister’ on page 59 of the Civics and Citizenship will be replaced by: The Prime Minister is the chief of the cabinet. The constitution empowers the Prime Minister to exercise the executive power of the republic. The Prime Minster determines the number of members of the cabinet and distributes offices among the ministers. The Prime Minister can recommend the removal of any minister from his post. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and Prof Haseena Khan, who were involved in the writing and editing of a seventh-grade science book, accepted allegations of plagiarism in the board textbook. 

The admission came in a joint statement they released over the issue relating to accusations of lifting and using content on the National Geographic website in the book titled “Anusandhani Path” which follows the new curriculum.