Editorial

Dear friends,

Assalamu alaikum. Hope you are keeping well, being hopeful about proposed and possible changes to education curriculum which became devoid of morality and ethics and full of unrepresentative ideals and Indian-Western values. Education has long been the foundation of intellectual and moral development in the Muslim Indian subcontinent, blending religious and secular knowledge. Bangladesh, a nation with a rich history of scholarship, once thrived under an educational system that integrated Islamic teachings with modern disciplines. However, under successive governments since Mughal days, particularly BJP in India and Sheikh Hasina’s tenure in Bangladesh, this balance has been systematically dismantled, leading to a crisis in national identity and educational quality in the region.

Since 2010 in Bangladesh, the National Education Policy has aggressively removed Islamic studies from the mainstream curriculum, reducing it to an optional subject and alienating students from their cultural and religious heritage. The decline in moral and ethical education has contributed to a widening intellectual divide, leaving young generations disconnected from their historical roots. The allocation of only 1.76% of GDP to education—far below the UNESCO-recommended 5.5%—further underscores the government’s neglect.

By 2024, mass student protests erupted, culminating in the departure of Sheikh Hasina and the rise of an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. With this transition, Bangladesh now faces a pivotal opportunity to restore balance in its education system. The new administration has proposed critical reforms, including reinstating Islamic studies as a core subject, bridging the gap between madrasas and mainstream institutions, and revising textbooks to reflect the nation’s Islamic heritage.

Despite these promising steps, challenges remain. Years of secular indoctrination, foreign influences, and funding shortages threaten meaningful reform. The new government must prioritize teacher training, strengthen domestic policymaking, and increase investment in faith-based education.

For the above reasons, we have decided to make the cover story for March issue. Hope you like the story. See you next month with another pressing issue.