Sharifa's Tale to be removed from class 7 textbook

Education Ministry has decided to remove "Sharifa's Tale" from the History and Social Science textbook of class 7.

The ministry has instructed the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to take necessary steps in this regard.

The decision was taken following recommendations of a probe committe.

According to NCTB officials, the story would be replaced with another one on the same topic, but with a different narrative.

Sharifa's Tale discusses the experiences and challenges faced by a third gender or "Hijra" individual.

The story made social media hype when Asif Mahtab, a part-time lecturer at Brac University, objected to the inclusion of the story in the textbook, arguing that "students were being introduced to transgender and homosexual concepts through the story".