Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee yesterday condemned the education ministry's decision to remove the story titled "Sharifa's Tale" from the seventh-grade textbook under the new curriculum, terming the decision "submissive".

In a statement, the pro-Liberation War platform demanded that the ministry immediately withdraw the decision, calling upon the government to make the curriculum inclusive.

The education ministry recently decided to remove "Sharifa's Tale" from the seventh-grade textbook following recommendations of a probe committee and instructed the National Curriculum and Textbook Board to take necessary steps regarding the decision.

Nirmul Committee said the new curriculum has been formulated based on pluralism but is facing a setback because of such recommendations.

It said communal forces have been creating obstacles to implement the curriculum, demanding legal action against those who were running campaigns both online and offline against it.

"Sharifa's Tale" was included in the history and social science book for seventh grade in a section on "human similarities and differences". This chapter was designed under the new curriculum to raise public awareness about transgender people.

Prof Md Moshiuzzaman, acting NCTB chairman, recently told The Daily Star the story would be replaced in the next academic year. The textbook would still have a topic for the same learning outcome, but with a different narrative. The story drew significant attention after an adjunct faculty member of BRAC University tore out the pages containing it during an event. A video of this incident went viral on social media.

On January 24, the education ministry formed a five-member committee to review "Sharifa's Tale". The committee recommended dropping the story in May.