Textbook blunder sparks outrage: Wrong date for Abu Sayed’s death

A recent mistake in the newly released textbooks for ninth and tenth graders has caused a stir, with many people in Rangpur and students involved in the anti-discrimination movement demanding immediate action. 

The error involves the death date of Abu Sayed, who was tragically shot by the police during the student protests. 

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has been criticized for incorrectly stating the date of his death.

In a chapter titled “Graffiti” in the ninth and tenth-grade English textbook, it is wrongly mentioned that Abu Sayed was killed by police in Rangpur on July 17, 2024. 

This mistake has been met with strong disapproval from the activists of the July Movement. 

They feel this error is not only misleading but disrespectful to the movement and its cause.

Students involved in the anti-discrimination protests have expressed that the wrong date is an attempt to undermine their struggle. 

They are demanding strict punishment for those responsible for this serious error and insisting that the textbooks be corrected without delay. 

Dr. Shawkat Ali, Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, has also raised his voice, calling for the immediate revision of the textbooks.

Speaking on the matter, Professor Dr. A.K.M. Riazul Hasan, Chairman of the NCTB, confirmed the mistake, saying, “The date of Abu Sayed’s death was wrongly stated in the ninth and tenth-grade English book. 

The online version has already been updated, and we will issue a notice soon to correct all errors in the textbooks.”

In the meantime, students from Begum Rokeya University have organized a human chain protest to demand justice, calling for legal action against those responsible for the error and urging that the textbooks be corrected as soon as possible.