The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh has made major revisions to the 2026 academic textbooks for primary and secondary levels. The new editions, distributed from January 1, include significant changes to the portrayal of the Liberation War, the declaration of independence, subsequent political developments, and the 2024 July uprising. In the revised Bangladesh and Global Studies books for grades six through ten, Ziaur Rahman is identified as the proclaimer of independence on March 26, 1971, replacing earlier references to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The books also describe Zia’s political, agricultural, and economic contributions.

The updated textbooks omit Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s March 7 speech and remove terms such as “Father of the Nation” and “Bangabandhu.” They newly include accounts of the 2024 July uprising, Sheikh Hasina’s fall, and descriptions of her rule as authoritarian. The revisions were approved by the National Curriculum Coordination Committee following recommendations from experts and the interim government’s directive.

According to NCTB officials, the goal of these changes is to present a balanced and realistic depiction of Bangladesh’s political history and to free textbooks from exaggerated or imposed narratives.