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Transparency International Bangladesh on Monday said that the interim government has set a worrisome and risky precedent by compromising policy decisions in response to self-interested radical threats.

TIB came up with this in a statement sent to media expressing concern over the government decision.

It said that the decision to cancel the coordination committee to amend and revise all textbooks, prepared and printed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, contradicts the vision of a non-discriminatory new Bangladesh and its non-communal spirit. This, TIB asserts, is indicative of the interim government’s compromising stance.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said, ‘In response to the multi-dimensional and unprecedented human rights violations by the authoritarian government, and the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs, the students have paved the way for the creation of a new Bangladesh — a nation committed to the peaceful coexistence and equal rights of all, regardless of religious, social, or cultural diversity.

‘This new Bangladesh will be non-discriminatory, non-sectarian, transparent, accountable, and well-governed, where no religious or ideological doctrine will be imposed on anyone,’ he said.

‘However, we are alarmed by efforts to spread malice, hatred, and hostility against non-communal spirit and pluralism, which are gaining momentum,’ he said.

He also said that the interim government was compromising by succumbing to the propaganda and threats posed by self-interested factions. A troubling example of this is the cancellation of the coordination committee to amend and revise textbooks, which not only represents a concession to fundamentalism and communalism but also betrays the very aspirations of new Bangladesh for a non-discriminatory, non-communal, and democratic future.

Zaman further said, ‘No matter how overpowered the oppressive and communal forces, that have emerged from the ruins of authoritarianism, are, and no matter how hard they try to impose their discriminatory ideology on society, we firmly believe that the mainstream of the anti-discrimination movement will not allow such forces to thrive.’

‘The strength of the interim government lies in the core values of the anti-discrimination movement—pluralism, inclusiveness, equality, and non-communalism,’ he added.

TIB expresses hope that the government will continue to uphold its responsibility to reform the state and steadfastly avoid compromising with all forms of malign forces, especially communal and fundamentalist factions.