#TariqueRahman-led
#BNP Govt Follows the
#Yunus-led Interim Govt in Capitulating to
#Islamist Demands, Backtracks on Appointment of
#Music Teachers in Schools.
Following in the footsteps of the Muhammad
#Yunus-led Interim Government, the BNP Government under Prime Minister
#TariqueRahman has chosen to appease Islamist pressure groups rather than promote arts and cultural education, reversing plans to appoint music teachers in government primary schools.
On 14 June,
#Education Minister ANM Ahsanul Hoque Mlion informed Parliament that the government had decided against appointing music teachers in government primary schools. The statement came in response to a question raised by Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md. Nurul Islam, who represents the Chapainawabganj-3 constituency.
The decision marks a continuation of a policy reversal that began under the previous Interim Govt. On 28 August 2025, officials from the Ministry of Education formally proposed the appointment of dedicated assistant teachers for music and physical education in government primary schools.
The initiative was intended to strengthen the holistic development of
#children by ensuring greater access to
#arts,
#culture, and physical education within the school system.
However, the proposal faced strong opposition from several Islamist political parties and organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Hefazat-e-Islam, and others..
As a result of this pressure, the Interim Government withdrew the proposal on 2 November 2025, effectively scrapping plans to appoint music and physical education teachers in primary schools.
News:
bddigest.com/news/53850/
The BNP Govt's latest decision not to revive the initiative suggests a continuation of the same policy approach. Rather than advancing educational reforms aimed at the all-round development of children, BNP has chosen to maintain a position that aligns with
#Islamists.
Opposition from Islamist organisations to music and cultural activities is not unexpected, given their literal and backward worldviews regarding all forms of artistic and cultural expression.
However, BNP has traditionally projected itself as a party committed to liberal democratic values, cultural pluralism, and freedom of religion.
This raises an important question: if the party claims to support a modern and inclusive vision of society, why is it unwilling to support educational initiatives that promote the intellectual, physical, and creative development of children through music and physical education?
Music and arts education are widely recognised as important components of a well-rounded education system. Alongside physical education, they contribute to creativity, critical thinking, confidence, discipline, and social development.
The decision to abandon such initiatives, coupled with related developments such as historic revisionism in new school books, therefore raises broader concerns about the direction of educational policy and the extent to which political considerations are shaping decisions that affect future generations.
In a political landscape where the country's principal secular political force, the
#AwamiLeague, remains effectively banned and Islamist parties wield increasing influence over public discourse and policymaking, the BNP government's decision is likely to reinforce concerns about the growing accommodation of religious hardliners within mainstream
#politics.
…
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