Schools across the country are grappling with an acute shortage of textbooks for the new academic year, affecting both primary and secondary classes.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has yet to provide a clear timeline for resolving this crisis. While schools struggle to supply free textbooks, these books are paradoxically more readily available in local markets.
Vendors in areas such as Nilkhet and Banglabazar are selling textbooks for grades 1 to 10. A complete set of primary-level textbooks is priced at approximately BDT 1,500, whereas secondary-level textbooks are being sold for about BDT 4,500.
Alarmed by the possibility of academic setbacks for their children, many parents are purchasing these costly books from market vendors.
Black Market Involvement Unearthed
Investigations have uncovered the involvement of some Upazila Education Officers in an illegal operation to sell textbooks.
These officials are accused of inflating student numbers to secure excess textbook allocations, which are then sold at marked-up prices. Certain school principals have also been implicated in this operation.
Textbooks from various regions are being funneled into markets such as Nilkhet and Banglabazar, where they are sold through these illicit channels.
Unscrupulous printing house owners are also complicit in this syndicate, prioritizing profits over ethical practices.
The production cost of a textbook for primary or secondary levels is between BDT 30 and 50. However, they are sold to market shops for BDT 150 to 300, and retailers then sell them for BDT 200 to 500, reaping substantial profits.
NCTB's Stance and Government Measures
NCTB sources revealed that the excess demands made by district and Upazila education offices are a major contributor to the textbook black market.
Some schools have also inflated their requirements and are now selling these surplus books in the market. Printing houses, enticed by high margins, are actively participating in unauthorized sales.
Dr. AKM Riazul Hasan, Chairman of NCTB, stated that multiple agencies are investigating these illegal activities. NCTB monitoring teams have summoned printing firms for explanations, and offenders are expected to face punitive actions.
The government has obtained evidence of the illegal sales, and law enforcement agencies recently conducted raids in Nilkhet, confiscating free textbooks from stores like China Book House, Mizi Book House, Boiyer Desh-2, and Mamun Book House. While shop owners were fined, the principal actors behind the syndicate remain at large.
Delays in Textbook Distribution
As of now, the government has not delivered a complete set of textbooks for the 2025 academic year to students from grades 1 to 10. On January 1, only a limited number of books were distributed, with additional supplies arriving sporadically, leaving many students without essential learning materials.
Visits to several schools in Dhaka revealed that numerous secondary-level students have not yet received a single textbook. Schools are distributing books as they arrive but continue to face shortages.
This year, around 410 million textbooks are required for approximately 40 million students across primary and secondary levels. However, only 60 million books were distributed on the first day of the academic year, with some additional deliveries since then.
Several factors have contributed to the delay, including political transitions in mid-2024, revisions to 441 textbooks under the 2012 curriculum, the annulment of prior tenders, and delays in finalizing inspection firms.
Although printing typically requires 40 days after contracts are awarded, these processes were significantly delayed. Printing facilities, when fully operational, can produce up to 4 million textbooks per day, provided there are no paper shortages.
Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud has assured that all textbooks will be distributed by February.
Textbooks Sold Openly in Markets
During visits to Nilkhet and Banglabazar, investigators observed vendors discreetly selling textbooks to parents and teachers. Investigators, posing as buyers, confirmed that textbooks were available.
Street vendors even directed buyers to specific market stalls offering full sets of books.
Parent Shafiqul Islam expressed his frustration, saying, “No books were available from the school, but in the market, all grades' books are easily accessible. I purchased an English for Today textbook for 6th grade at BDT 320, which would typically cost BDT 50 to 60.”
Initially, booksellers in Banglabazar denied possessing the new textbooks. However, upon further inquiry, they were found selling them secretly, depending on how buyers approached them.
Seizure of Substandard Books
In another development, NCTB’s monitoring team confiscated 60,000 substandard books from Government Press, which had used low-quality paper for printing.
The press, located in Mirpara, Dhaka, was discovered subcontracting printing tasks without authorization. Acting on a tip-off, NCTB officials raided a printing press on Haji Badsha Mia Road in Matuail, seizing and destroying the substandard books.
Government Press, which has long been a prominent printer of free textbooks under the Awami League government, was contracted to print 30 million books this year.
These developments underscore systemic flaws and corruption that continue to hinder the timely delivery of textbooks to students.
