Photo : Messenger
Recently, a teacher named Asif Mahtab of BRAC University, in a seminar titled 'New Textbooks in Current Curriculum: Reality and Future' of the National Teachers' Forum, publicly tore the story of becoming 'Sharif' to 'Sharifa' in the History and Social Science book of class VII. With which there has been a reaction among the netizens on social media.
Asif Mahtab complains, "There is a story of 'Sharif' becoming 'Sharifa' in the History and Social Science textbook of class VII. I bought the book from the market. It says that when I was a child, everyone called me a boy. But I once realised that my body is like a boy. But I'm a girl at heart. If he (boy) is a girl, then who will he marry? Of course, a boy. That means it's homosexuality, which is illegal in our country. But it's being legitimized by this story. It's a kind of brainwashing of students in school. It is being done as it is done in Europe and America.”
After this incident, I downloaded the story from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) website and read the story of this class VII book. But there is nothing negative to be found here—which is what Asif Mahtab has complained about and spread panic and negativity about government textbooks among the public across the country. Its effect is already visible.
What I get from reading this story is that there is a community called Hijras (Third Gender) in our society and they are people like us. It talks about that community. Their way of life, facing various obstacles while moving in society and moving forward with the times—these things are highlighted in the story. Moreover, it is also mentioned that they are ordinary people like us and cannot be hated.
There is a question raised about a line: Is it always possible to tell whether a person is a boy or a girl by looking at the outside?". What is absurd or indecent here? Walid Islam is Bangladesh's first third-gender diplomat and also the world's first third-gender foreign cadre. Before becoming a diplomat, no one knew whether Walid was a boy or a girl or a third gender. Walid Islam also had to be humiliated by this society and faced many obstacles in life. And such things are mentioned in the story.
Asif Mahtab did not stop tearing up government textbooks in public. He told everyone in the seminar, “Those of you who can afford it will buy this book from the bookstore for 80 takas and tear the two pages of the story. Give it back to the store later. Tell them to sell it at half price. So that people are alerted. The protest may be like this: I will tear the two pages from 'Sharif' to 'Sharifa' and give them (shopkeepers) again. I will tear the book with my money.”
Asif Mahtab, a university teacher, deserves state punishment for the heinous act of tearing government textbooks in public. Through this, he promoted extremism. If he complained about any text in the textbook, he could analyse it decently and logically by showing proper reasons—because he is a university teacher. But he cannot tear government textbooks in public at a national seminar. The people of the community in which he has spread unrest across the country, namely the third-gender community, were recognised by the Government of Bangladesh in November 2013 as third-gender to integrate them into the mainstream of society. And on January 26, 2014, the gazette was also published with the state recognition of the third gender.
Asif Mahtab, being a university teacher, questioned the entire university system and defamed it. He refused to give the transgender or third-gender community the identity of "humans". To whom the identity of a human is not important—how can he devote himself to the work of nation-building! What else will generations learn from a teacher like Asif Mahtab? If such an incident happened anywhere else in the world except Bangladesh, Asif Mahtab would have been expelled for life from all the universities of the country including the concerned university, and legal action would have been taken against him.
On the contrary, BRAC University authorities have expelled Asif Mahtab from the university due to the reaction of this incident across the country. It is a timely decision. But after this incident, very emotional and mob-oriented people who do not know the situation are threatening to boycott all the institutions and products of BRAC on social media. In this context, nothing will happen to BRAC; on the contrary, BRAC's marketing will happen.
If any related incident happens, the thoughts and actions of the people of this country will stop only boycotting institutions and products. But in the end, it does not bear any fruit. To change something requires study, a desire to know and acquisition of knowledge. But the saddest thing is that those who talk about these things with enthusiasm spread them extensively and promote them without knowing about the related issues. They only do it with the attitude of 'the others are doing it; I am also doing it'. But these very people are not seen promoting any good work, positive things—which are related to the interests and welfare of the society and state.
Our situation has now reached such a level that we have lost our sense of what to talk about and what to promote. Perhaps no one else in the world makes such maximum negative use of social media like our country. Every issue of Shikha newspaper associated with the then Buddhir Mukti Andolon (The Freedom of Intellect Movement) carried a quote: "Gyan Jekhane Seemabaddha, Buddhi Sekhane Arashta, Mukti Sekhane Asambhab" or "Where knowledge is restricted, there the intellect is inert, there freedom is impossible." It has become robustly relevant now.
The writer is a researcher, journalist and columnist.
Messenger/Fardin
