The Education Rights Parliament (Shiksha Odhikar Shangshad) yesterday demanded that the stories of the July mass uprising, and stories of martyrs be incorporated in the new textbooks at a roundtable conference.

The conference was held at the National Academy for Educational Management and was chaired by Dr Niaz Asadullah, professorial fellow of North South University and convener of the Education Rights Parliament (ERP).

Md Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, member secretary of ERP and an assistant professor of the Institute of Education and Research, Jagannath University delivered a presentation on how primary and secondary level textbooks were politicised during the Awami League-led government in the last 15 years. He also recommended the inclusion of stories and narratives of the July uprising in the textbooks.

The roundtable was attended by prominent student leaders, academicians, school teachers and family members of the martyrs of the mass uprising.

Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the student-led uprising, said, "We have noticed an effort to include a segmented narrative of the July revolution in the new textbooks. This is not acceptable. The stories of the revolution must be presented in the textbook as an integral part of the history of Bangladesh."

Rakhal Raha, a member of the textbook reforms committee and education activist said, "The way the education system has been destroyed in the last 15 years is absolutely unprecedented. We are absolutely in line with the recommendations presented by the Education Rights Parliament. Now, we need to think how to include the content [uprising stories] and make them palatable for the learners".

Dr Syeda Razia Sultana, professor at the chemical engineering department, Buet and a member of the National Curriculum Coordination Committee, said, "Stories of the July uprising must be incorporated in the textbooks. First, we need to decide on our national vision for the curriculum and textbook. This would guide us in incorporating uprising content in our textbooks".

Family members of the martyrs of the uprising also shared their heart-touching accounts of struggle and resilience at the conference and demanded the inclusion of the sacrifices of the martyrs and victims and the ideal for which they fought.

Farzana Haque, sister of martyr Sajid said, "Stories of martyrs should be incorporated in the textbooks but we need to avoid exaggerations just what the previous regime did in the textbooks."

Sanzida, the mother of martyr Anas, said, "My son's letter should be included in the textbooks. This letter can educate learners about how our youth made the supreme sacrifice for our country."

Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzim Uddin Khan, a member of the University Grants Commission, said, "I congratulate the Education Rights Parliament for their important proposals. To move forward with the reform proposals, we must protect our solidarity and work together to implement the reforms."

Professor Dr Niaz Asadullah, convener of the Education Rights Parliament, said in his concluding remarks, "The reforms in textbooks and the education sector should be done democratically. All the stakeholders, especially the youth and the students must be involved in the reforms process."