The National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC) has approved four new textbooks for fourth- and sixth-grade students for the upcoming 2027 academic year. Meanwhile, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTC) has initiated steps to revise the sixth-grade Information and Communication Technology (ICT) textbook following a controversy over the inclusion of a weighing scales (daripalla) symbol to represent wisdom. According to the new decision, while the four hierarchical levels—data, information, knowledge, and wisdom—will remain in the book, no symbols or icons will be used. Consequently, the responsible NCTB official has been transferred to Khagrachari.
 
The approval of the fourth- and sixth-grade books came during separate NCCC meetings held on Sunday at the International Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka. Subject to necessary revisions, fourth-grade books Bangladesher Sanskriti (Culture of Bangladesh) and Kheladhula (Sports), alongside sixth-grade books Learning with Happiness and Amar Karigari Sikkha (My Technical Education), received approval.
 
The meeting for the approval of fourth-grade books was attended by Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A. N. M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan as the chief guest. State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Gias Uddin attended as special guests. Presided over by Primary and Mass Education Ministry Secretary Jesmin Nahar, the meeting was also joined by Chief Information Commissioner Dr. Nahrin Islam Khan, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abu Abdullah M. Saleh, and other committee members.
 
The education minister also served as the chief guest at the sixth-grade textbook approval meeting. Presided over by Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleq, the meeting featured Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Gias Uddin Rimun as the special guest, alongside the Chief Information Commissioner and other committee members.
 
The ‘Scales’ Symbol Dropped
 
The concept of the "data pyramid" is introduced in the "Data and Information" chapter of the sixth-grade ICT book. It illustrates four levels from bottom to top: data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. Distinct symbols were used to represent each level—a pie chart for data, an atom or network symbol for information, a human brain for knowledge, and a pair of weighing scales for wisdom.
 
However, controversy arose because the image of the weighing scales closely matched the political and electoral symbol of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. In response, the NCTB decided to remove the image.
 
On Sunday, NCTB member A. K. M. Showkat Ali Khan told Samakal that the new edition will retain the names of the four levels—data, information, knowledge, and wisdom—without any icons or symbols. The books will reach students in this format next year, with further refinements planned for subsequent years to prevent any misinformation.
 
Printing Halted, Distributed Books to be Retrieved
 
Amid the controversy, directives were issued on the night of October 22 to halt the printing of the sixth-grade ICT book. Initiatives have also been undertaken to collect the books already sent to the field level and redistribute them after revisions.
 
Professor Md. Riyazul Islam, Chief Editor of the NCTB, told Samakal that the printing of the book is currently suspended and field-level distributions are being recalled. The texts will be supplied to students only after necessary amendments.
 
According to printing press owners and NCTB sources, approximately 3.8 million copies of the sixth-grade ICT textbook are being printed for the 2027 academic year. Since the printing, binding, and supply of the books containing the controversial image were largely completed earlier, recalling and revising field-level distributions will incur extra time and financial costs.
 
Responsible Official Transferred to Khagrachari
 
Meanwhile, in connection with the inclusion of the weighing scales symbol in the ICT textbook, official Md. Abdullah Al Jobayer has been removed from the NCTB and posted to the Khagrachari Government Women’s College. He is an official of the BCS (General Education) cadre who served on deputation as an NCTB research board officer alongside holding additional duties as the board’s librarian.
 
A notification issued on Sunday by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education stated that he has been transferred and posted as a Lecturer in Political Science at Khagrachari Government Women’s College under his existing pay scale.
 
According to the notification, he must be released from his current workplace by October 29; otherwise, he will be deemed automatically released on the afternoon of that day. Furthermore, he is required to complete the release and joining process by logging into his personal PDS. The order has been issued in the public interest.
 
Precedent of Symbol Changes in Previous Editions
 
The English word "wisdom" was previously translated into Bengali as buddhi (intelligence) in the 2025 sixth-grade ICT textbook, where the weighing scales image was also utilized as a symbol.
 
For the 2026 academic year, the NCTB replaced the buddhi symbol with an image of the brain. Later, during the revision for the 2027 academic year, the relevant committee recommended replacing buddhi with pragya (wisdom). Although it was initially planned to retain the brain image as the symbol, the final edition deviated from that plan and reintroduced the weighing scales, triggering the fresh controversy.