BRAC University won’t renew contract with Mahtab

BRAC University has decided not to renew the contract with its part-time teacher Asif Mahtab, who recently sparked controversy by tearing up pages of a class 7 textbook, terming his behaviour "destructive" and "unbecoming of a teacher".

"Tearing pages of a textbook published by the government of Bangladesh, included in the national curriculum for students enrolled in seventh grade in schools, and asking others to do the same in a public forum, was a destructive act and it was a behavior unbecoming of a teacher, which is not supported by BRAC University," the university authorities said in a statement yesterday. 

The university did not offer a part-time teaching contract to Asif Mahtab Utsha for the Spring 2024 semester. However, it will compensate Asif Mahtab for his time and efforts towards his preparatory work for Spring 2024. 

"BRAC University respects and fully complies with the country's constitution and laws on all matters. Accordingly, it does not promote homosexuality as has been alleged by some quarters in various social media contents. However, the university believes in equal rights and creating opportunities for all human beings to realise their potentials," reads the statement.

The institution said it believes in creating space for all views to be discussed and debated constructively, predicated on tolerance and respect, also emphasising the exchange of ideas through dialogue.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has incorporated a two-page story titled "Sharifar Golpo" (The story of Sharifa) in the History and Social Science textbook for seventh graders as part of the new curriculum.

In the story, the central character, Sharif, though assigned male at birth, identifies as a woman at one point of his life and adopts the name Sharifa. Subsequently, Sharifa chooses to live as a member of the "Hijra" community.

This story came under the spotlight when Asif Mahtab, a part-time lecturer at BRAC University, objected to the incorporation of this story in the textbook, arguing that students were "being introduced to transgender and homosexual concepts" through this content.

Mahtab said this while attending a seminar on the new education curriculum at the Institute of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka's Kakrail on 19 January.

A video depicting Asif Mahtab tearing the pages of the textbook, which included the story, at the event went viral on social media.
On 21 January, Asif Mahtab, in a Facebook post, said the authorities of BRAC University "terminated" him. With this, discussions both in favour of and against Asif's criticism escalated on social media and on the university campus.