Education key to fight communalism

Education Minister Dipu Moni yesterday said everyone has to come forward to establish a non-communal education system.

“If we want to ensure a Bangladesh free of extremism and communalism, we have to lay emphasis on education,” she said.

She was addressing a discussion titled “Prof Kabir Chowdhury Memorial Lecture-8”, marking the 96th birth anniversary of the former national professor.

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee arranged the discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.

Speaking as chief guest, Dipu Moni said students of government Alia madrasas are studying mainstream curriculum alongside getting religion-based lessons.

Besides, over 15 lakh students of Qawmi madrasas have been brought under mainstream education, she said.

Efforts should be made so they can learn other subjects apart from topics of religion, so that they do not have to rely on madrasa and mosque-based jobs, the minister said.

Dipu Moni said banning Jamaat as a political party will not be sufficient to make the country communalism-free, if 'Moududism' and relevant ideologies are not uprooted.

“For this, we need to put more focus on our education system,” she added. She said she would take steps to scrutinise alleged discrepancies of question papers of the ongoing SSC exam.

Delivering the memorial lecture, Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir said madrasa students can contribute in building the nation. For this, they should be provided with modern education, he said.

Noted historian Prof Muntassir Mamoon, academician Prof Shaheen Kabir, and theatre personality Ramendu Majumdar, among others, spoke at the event.

Prof Kabir Chowdhury was born on February 9, 1923 in Noakhali and breathed his last on December 13, 2011 in Dhaka.