Disagree. The Text books should be reflective of the mindset of common people, socially acceptable norms and values. Forced adoption of anything both Islamism or Secularism ( Which Bangladeshis are not, Bangladeshis are Mostly moderate Muslims neither radically Secular nor Islamist ) would create confusion in the mind of school going kids.
The article from nytimes is one-sided, biased and has a radical secularist agenda. Such as the Example of O for Orna / OL. I have a question of To all Bangladeshi users. How many times you have used the word " Orna " in your everyday life and How many times OL in last 10 years? What is the problem when the most common word Orna replaced the rarely used OL ?
Also the example of Nile , Egypt is another horrible one as It was written by Syed Mujtaba Ali One of the greatest Bengali writers.
The Kath-Mullahs trying to control text books are the brainchild of radical secular bigots. 5-6 years ago The " seculars" silently had a coup against the then perfectly harmonious Bengali text books and removed all the Islamic leaning Chapters
such as the famous Umar Farooq of Kazi Nazrul. " তিমির রাত্রি এশার আজান শুনি দূর মসজিদে প্রিয়া-হারা কান্নার মতো এ- বুকে আসিয়া বিঁধে! আমির-উল-মুমেনিন, তোমার স্মৃতি যে আজানের ধ্বনি – জানে না মুয়াজ্জিন! তকবির শুনি শয্যা ছাড়িয়া চকিতে উঠিয়া বসি, বাতায়নে চাই – উঠিয়াছে কি রে গগনে মরুর শশী? ও-আজানা ও কি পাপিয়ার ডাক, ও কি চকোরীর গান?
These poems were replaced by poems like this - যে-বই তোমায় দেখায় ভয় সেগুলো কোনো বই-ই নয় সে-বই তুমি পড়বে না। যে-বই তোমায় অন্ধ করে যে-বই তোমায় বন্ধ করে ,সে-বই তুমি ধরবে না by Humayun Azad. Now We all know from Azad's background He is talking about Quran that tries to warn against Hellfire . If any intellectual thinks It shouldnt provoke any reaction from Muslim Majority Society, He or She is living in Denial or fool's paradise.
As for radicalization, The enforced secularism is as much bad or even worse as conservative Islam as seen before in Iran before 1979 or in Communist Afghanistan before 1989. It is as if Secularization served as fuel for Islamic Radicalization because People see it as a defensive mechanism against the Forced Change.
And the 17 changes made are not something new, The books went back to pre 2010 form. I congratulate the Government as they have understood where the fault line is. Sometimes Keeping the disease Dormant instead of removing it is a better solution.
Also The Government is trying to implement Common text books for Madrasa and Schools. Be realistic. You would also bring the similar changes to make it acceptable in Madrasas if you were the chairman.