Despite year-long preparations, uncertainty has arisen over whether students will receive their textbooks on time. For the 2026 academic year, about 350 million textbooks are scheduled to be printed, including 219 million for secondary schools.
Among these, around 65 million books are for ninth grade. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) had targeted completing all printing by October 2025.
However, as of now, only 2 million ninth-grade books have been printed. Printing for 145 million books for grades six, seven, and eight has not yet begun.
As a result, more than 10 million students are expected to suffer losses as they will not receive all their textbooks until March, two months after the new academic year begins.
Last year, delays in printing were somewhat tolerated due to political transitions. But this time, no one is willing to accept excuses for the delay.
Printing press owners blame NCTB officials’ negligence, while NCTB officials blame the Ministry of Education, saying NCTB is not responsible for the delay. According to them, the ministry canceled tenders for purchasing textbooks for grades six to eight without explanation, causing complications.
However, a ministry official claimed the retendering was done to break a long-standing syndicate. Insiders argue that the retendering did not break the syndicate; rather, it increased chaos. Many presses took contracts at much lower rates than estimated, resulting in a rise in low-quality paper being used for textbooks.
It is learned that the government’s budget for printing each form (section) of a grade 6–8 textbook was 3.15 taka, while the minimum market cost is 2.40 taka. Yet, several syndicate-linked presses won bids offering 1.80 to 2.09 taka per form.
Allegations suggest that this syndicate includes Robbani Jabbar, owner of Ananda Printers, and Md. Kabir, proprietor of Master Cimex Paper Ltd.. Their presses were previously accused of printing 2025 academic year textbooks using substandard paper, as confirmed by inspection lab reports.
A total of 103 printing presses are working on primary and secondary textbooks this year. Among them, Robbani and Kabir’s firms received contracts for over half of the 145 million books for grades six to eight.
NCTB began preparations in April to ensure free textbooks reach students at the beginning of the year. Tender notices were published between May and July, with the goal to finish printing by October and deliver to all subdistricts by December.
However, by September, the plan faltered. The government’s purchase committee failed to approve the contracts for grades six to eight, leading to tender cancellation. The retendering process and subsequent contract awards added an extra 2.5 months of delay.
Similarly, approval for printing 9th-grade books (around 60 million) was delayed for months, setting NCTB further behind schedule.
The Notification of Award (NOA) for ninth-grade books was issued on October 27, giving press owners 28 days to sign contracts.
Even if they sign on time, printing won’t start until December. They will have 70 days to complete printing, meaning it will continue through January and February. Binding, packaging, and distribution to districts and subdistricts will take additional time.
The NOA for grades six to eight was only issued last Thursday, and the contract process will take another 28 days before printing can begin.
Many see internal disorder within NCTB as a major reason for the crisis. Allegations persist that beneficiaries of the previous government remain active inside the board.
The student organization Chhatra Dal issued a statement demanding the removal of Dr. Riyad Chowdhury, NCTB’s Member (Textbook), and Acting Chairman Rabiul Kabir Chowdhury, accusing them of being close to the former regime and protecting the syndicate’s interests.
Even though NCTB employs private “third-party” inspections, controversy over textbook quality arises every year. It is reported that 30% of primary-level textbooks for the upcoming academic year have been printed on low-quality paper.
The Pre-Distribution Agent (PDI) supervises the entire process—from production to delivery. After district-level distribution, PLI agents monitor the quality of delivered books.
The PDI for primary textbooks is Infinity Survey & Inspection (BD), owned by Md. Monir, who faces accusations of extorting money from press owners. Allegedly, he demands Tk300,000 to 1 million from each press in exchange for certifying poor-quality paper as good.
An official from Janata Press said: “We already paid around Tk200,000 to the inspection company, but they are demanding another 500,000. If we don’t pay, they withhold approval for our paper.”
In response to these allegations, Md. Monir, owner of Infinity Survey & Inspection (BD), told The Daily Ittefaq: “Around 20 press owners, including Nazrul Islam Kajol of Janata Press, tried to bribe me, but I didn’t accept any offers. We are not compromising on paper quality”.
