The Government of Bangladesh has withdrawn plans to recruit music and physical education teachers in government primary schools following intense pressure from several Islamist organizations that described the subjects as “un-Islamic.”
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education confirmed the decision in a revised gazette issued on Sunday, removing the assistant teacher positions for music and physical education earlier introduced in August.
According to ministry official Masud Akhtar Khan, the revised recruitment structure now includes only two categories of assistant teachers — general and science — dropping the controversial roles.
The reversal came after Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, and Hefazat-e-Islam launched protests across the country, claiming that music and dance instruction violated Islamic values.
Education experts, however, have condemned the move, warning that it undermines holistic learning and cultural development. “Teaching music is not at odds with Islam,” said Rasheda K. Chowdhury, a prominent education analyst. “The government should have promoted balance, not submission to extremist views.”
Critics argue that the decision signals growing influence of hardline religious forces on national education policy, potentially setting back years of efforts to modernize Bangladesh’s school curriculum.
As of press time, the government has not provided a formal explanation beyond the amended gazette notification.
