Taking aim at the ongoing controversy around a fiction published in a textbook, Bangladesh's Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel spoke to the media in Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

About the narrative of Sharifa covered in the textbook, we intend to confer with specialists. "At the Secretariat, Chowdhury informed reporters that modifications would be implemented in case of any misunderstanding or misrepresentation."

Some are denouncing the content of the Sharifa narrative, which has previously generated controversy. The Minister of Education underlined the necessity of having a comprehensive conversation with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) in order to ascertain the reason for the story's impact on these responses.

"A few days ago, some recommendations were given to me from an organization," the speaker stated, expressing concern about the propensity of some groups to take advantage of religious feelings in order to cause instability and chaos in the nation. Teachers at Qawmi madrasas asserted that the textbook contains the term "transgender." But after closer inspection, it became clear that the phrase "third gender" was being employed.

Minister Chowdhury added, "In our society, people who identify as third gender, also known as 'Hijra,' are legally recognized citizens with rights."

He went on, "We will talk with experts about whether we can change the story's presentation while honoring the dignity of the third gender individuals if it causes misunderstandings and controversy." We don't want to address this from a policy standpoint because it is a particular issue.

"We will discuss this matter with BRAC University and understand the issue through the University Grants Commission, following which a detailed discussion will be held," the Education Minister said in response to a query regarding the controversy surrounding BRAC University.