The committee at a meeting decided to seek an explanation after a heated debate over who had proclaimed independence and the date of the proclamation and other 'distorted facts' in some textbooks published by the NCTB, the textbook regulator.

Opposition legislator Shahjahan Khan blamed the ruling coalition for distorting the country's historical facts in textbooks and misleading future generations.

He asked the committee members as to how two books -- Bangla textbook of class IX and X and Poribesh Porichiti Samaj of class IV -- present contradictory statements about the day of proclamation of independence.

An article of Bangla textbook of class X and IX, 'Duijon Birshrestha', says that Ziaur Rahman proclaimed independence from Kalurghat radio station on March 26, but the other book of class IV in its article on page 78 says Ziaur Rahman on March 27 proclaimed independence from Kalurghat revolutionary radio station.

Khan asked his ruling coalition colleagues which one is true and why is the Independence Day observed on March 26? He said the fact is that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed independence of Bangladesh on March 26.

He presented a 1971 intelligence report of US Embassy titled Civil War in Pakistan sent by John J Pavelle, Jr, Captain USN and Major John B Hunt in support of his contention.

The report says, "Pakistan was thrust into civil war today when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the East wing of the two parts of the country to be "the sovereign independent people's republic of Bangladesh". Fighting is reported heavily in Dhaka and other Eastern cities where the 10,000-man paramilitary East Pakistan Rifles has joined police and private citizens in conflict with an estimated 23,000 West Pakistani regular army troops."

Khan also presented a book 'Witness to Surrender' written by Siddiq Salik, a Pakistani and public relations officer of Pakistan Army. Salik in his book wrote "when the first shot had been fired the voice of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came faintly through on a wave length close to that of the official Pakistan Radio. In what must have been and sounded like a pre-recorded message, the Sheikh proclaimed East Pakistan to be the People's Republic of Bangladesh".

The full text of the proclamation was published in Bangladesh documents released by the Indian foreign ministry, he said. "This may be my last message. From today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you are and with whatever you have to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved," the text says.

Committee Chairman Md Helaluzzaman Talukdar Lalu told the opposition legislator that officials of the NCTB as well as the education ministry will be asked to appear before the committee in its next meeting and clarify the issue.

The four-party alliance led by the BNP is alleged to have changed historical facts in some textbooks after it came to office in 2001.