Hefajat chief helped draft policy, then opposed it
A government initiative to recognise Qawmi madrasas and bring about reforms in their methods of education is being held back in the face of opposition from the radical Islamist organisation Hefajat-e Islam.
The education ministry formed a commission on April 15, 2012 to improve Qawmi education and provide students with knowledge and skills needed for the job market.
To avoid controversy, the commission was comprised of Qawmi scholars, with Hefazat supremo Shah Ahmed Shafi in the chair.
More than a million students study at approximately 25,000 Qawmi madrasas which mainly survive on private donations. This is an uncharted territory with no government monitoring, supervision or support.
The country's madrasa system is divided into two categories.
Alia madrasas, all registered with and supervised by Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board, offer a distinctive combine of modern and religious education.
Qawmi madrasas function under several boards of their own. They are said to follow the syllabus of Darul Uloom Deoband, a historic Islamic school of India, focusing mostly on Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages. Some offer elementary lessons in Bangla, English and Mathematics.
Qawmi graduates mainly work as imams at mosques. However, there is no government data on how many graduate from the madrasas every year.
Some madrasas have allegedly been used as breeding grounds for religious extremists.
The 17-member commission led by Shafi last year drafted a policy outlining the curriculum, evaluation system and six-tiers of Qawmi education.
It also proposed introducing certificates for passing each of the tiers -- primary, junior secondary, SSC, HSC, honours and masters -- and a syllabus, including Bangla, English, mathematics and social science at least up to the higher secondary level.
Following the drafting of the policy, the ministry prepared a proposal for a law to be enacted for setting up a body, to be known as Qawmi Madrasa Education Authority.
Maulana Farid Uddin, co-chairman of the 17-member commission, said, "There is no clause in the proposal that could harm the uniqueness of Qawmi madrasa education as the proposed curriculum and syllabus were prepared in line with Darul Uloom Deoband."
The proposal was scheduled to be placed at the cabinet meeting on October 28 last year for approval. But the ministry took back the draft following threats from Hefajat-e Islam a day before.
The education ministry, however, cited the need for further scrutiny as the reason for the withdrawal of the draft. Sources in the ministry said the government put its move to enact the law on hold as it does not want to give the Islamist leaders any scope to wage a movement or demonstration against it.
On October 27, Hefajat chief Shah Ahmed Shafi, director general of Hathazari Darul Uloom Madrasa, at a Chittagong press conference warned that that the country would face a “civil war” if the government tried to “control” the Qawmi madrasas.
Hefajat-e Islam, a Chittagong-based organisation, was launched on January 10, 2010, to oppose the newly adopted education policy and the amendments brought about in the constitution in line with the spirit of its original 1972 version.
The Islamist group took centre stage as a force opposed to the popular Shahbagh movement that began on February 5 last year to press for maximum punishment for war criminals.
Hefajat's 13-point demand, announced at its April 6 rally in the capital, includes a ban on all foreign culture, free mingling of men and women and candlelight vigils.
Many believe a section of the Qawmi community, especially the Hefajat group, opposed the government move to reform the madrasa education because of political reason.
"Most of the officials of Qawmi madrasa boards lean towards the BNP-Jamaat alliance. They don't want such recognition to come from the Awami League government," said a person involved with Qawmi madrasa.
Interestingly, in August 2006, then prime minister Khaleda Zia of BNP-Jamaat government announced that the “Dawra degree” of Qawmi madrasas would be regarded as being equivalent to Master of Arts in Islamic studies or Arabic literature following agitations by several Islamist groups.
But it was never implemented as the announcement was driven by concerns about elections rather than as a commitment to improve madrasa education.
According to a source, officials of the Qawmi madrasa boards fear that after reforms, they might lose control over the madrasas and there might be an embargo on foreign funds.
But many teachers want government recognition. A group under the banner of Qawmi Madrasa Student-Teacher Welfare Council on many occasions has voiced the demand.
"Students will not only be able to get jobs, but also enjoy a social status if the government recognises Qawmi madrasas. It will open the door to higher education," said Moulana Farid Uddin Masuod, a Qawmi scholar who has several Qawmi madrasa.
He said more than 90 percent students of his madrasas and most of the Qawmi Alems want certificates under a single authority.
"Our society will not move ahead if we don't develop the psyche of Qawmi students. And if we fail to do so, Bangladesh will face more threats of militancy," Moulana Farid Uddin said and stressed on transforming the drafted proposal into a law immediately.
The proposal said the existing Qawmi madrasas will have to allow neither any government interference in establishing the madrasas nor any financial help from the state.
It also recommended establishing an independent university and an authority for Qawmi education. The university will give certificates of honours and masters degrees. The authority will remain effective until the establishment of the university, it said.
Contacted, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the proposals made by the commission were under the ministry's consideration.
"We want to recognise the Qawmi madrasas. We will enact a law when the madrasa leaders give a combined opinion," he told The Daily Star.
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