Yunus-led Bangladesh govt surrenders to Islamists' pressure, scraps posts for music, physical education teachers

The Yunus administration had previously aimed to bring in cultural education such as music and dance as part of primary school curriculum alongside religious and academic subjects.

The Muhammad Yunus-led government has reportedly dropped its plans to appoint music and dance teachers in primary schools months after 'pressure' from . They have also scrapped the post of physical education teachers.

The Yunus administration which had previously aimed to bring in cultural education such as music and dance as part of primary school curriculum alongside religious and academic subjects, had reportedly faced heat from Islamic groups who called it 'anti-Islamic agenda'.

The Bangladesh government had faced backlash for the decision from who had called the move an "anti-Islamic agenda".

"Although the rules issued last August had four categories of posts, two categories have been included in the amendment. The posts of assistant teachers for music and physical education are not in the new rules," BDNews24 quoted ministry official Masud Akhtar Khan as saying.

"You can check for yourself," the official told the publication when asked if the decision to scrap the posts were due to pressure from Islamic groups.

Multiple religious groups had vehemently opposed the government's decision.

"When we took religious studies as children, there were separate teachers for Hindus and Muslims. We studied under them. But now, you want to appoint music teachers? What will they teach? What are your intentions? You want to make our children disrespectful, unruly and characterless? We will never tolerate that," Islami Andolon Bangladesh's chief Syed Rezaul Karim said.

Slamming the government for the same move, the Deobandi Islamist advocacy group had called it "anti-Islamic agenda".