Shaheed Ziaur Rahman’s Liberation War Role to be Included in Textbooks

BSS

Publish : 16 Sep 2026, 02:20 PM

Sheheed President Ziaur Rahman. Photo: Collected

An article titled ‘Memories of the War of Independence’ (Swadhinata Juddher Smriti), written by Sheheed President Ziaur Rahman, is set to be included in textbooks from the next academic year.

In addition, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has taken an initiative to include an image of a historic diary he (Zia) kept at that time in textbook.

NCTB officials said the article will be added as a new chapter in the ‘Bangla Literature’ textbook for Class-IX and Class-X for the 2027 academic year.

The National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC) has given the final approval to include this widely discussed document - considered a significant memoir of the history of the Great War of Liberation- in the curriculum.

NCTB Chairman Professor Mohammed Fakhrul Mawla told BSS that the NCCC has given final approval to include Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman’s article ‘Memories of the War of Liberation’ in the ‘Bangla Literature’ textbook for Class-IX and X, starting from the next academic year.

He said the government has taken this initiative to present everyone's respective contributions to textbooks in an impartial and objective manner.

Educationists and experts observe that after including this article, students will be able to learn without any bias about the historic “We Revolt” message broadcast from Chattogram and the eyewitness account of the declaration of the independence from Kalurghat; which marks a major milestone in presenting the objective history of the county’s 1971 War of Liberation.

Talking to BSS, eminent educationist and National Professor Dr Mahbub Ullah said this article written by Shaheed Ziaur Rahman holds historical value. Through it, students can become aware of the struggle for independence and its inclusion in the textbook is logical, he said.

Professor Shah Shamim Ahmed, a teacher of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Dhaka University, said through the inclusion of this article, future generations will have the opportunity to learn the true and objective facts about the Liberation War.

“The incumbent government's view of presenting an objective and impartial history will put an end to the mindset that fostered a one-sided historical narrative during past political shifts,” he said.

According to the Ministry of Education, this decision to include the article in textbook was taken at a NCCC meeting on August 24. Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the ministry chaired the meeting.

The NCTB officials said the author biography section accompanying the 22nd prose piece in the Class IX-X 'Bangla Literature' textbook identifies Shaheed Ziaur Rahman as the declarer of the Great Independence, a former President, Army Chief, Commander of Z Force, Commander of Sector 1, and a recipient of the ‘Bir Uttam’ award.

Furthermore, the text characterizes the Liberation War as a comprehensive ‘people’s war’ and describes how, following the arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after the genocide of March 25, the declaration of independence by the then-Major Ziaur Rahman served as a clarion call for the freedom-seeking people.

They said explanatory notes precede the main narrative of the essay. These notes cite two articles - 'Ekti Jatir Jonmo' (Birth of a Nation), published in Dainik Bangla in 1972, and 'Swadhinata Juddher Smriti' (Memories of the War of Independence), published in the now-defunct Dainik Desh in 1980 as unique documents of the Liberation War, affirming that the Bangladesh’s independence was not the achievement of any single individual or party.

The text acknowledges key figures - Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, Maulana Abdul Hamid Bhashani, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman (declarer of independence), and Tajuddin Ahmad (first Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh) -as indispensable names in the history of Bangladesh's independence and Liberation War.

The officials further added that the essay vividly portrays the commencement of the War of Independence through an armed uprising in Chattogram in March 1971, the declaration of independence from the Kalurghat Radio Station, and the unique story of sacrifice of front fight.

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