With just three months left before the new academic year begins, there are growing concerns about the distribution of textbooks across the nation. The manuscript for many books is still not finalised, and the printing process hasn’t started yet.
Officials worry that while some books might be available in January, it could take until March to complete printing all the textbooks.
Each year, the government prints around 35 crore free textbooks for primary and secondary levels. For the 2025 academic year, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has yet to start the tender process for the first phase of printing for four classes. Although the tenders for six classes are completed, printing cannot begin because the manuscripts are not ready.
Next year, textbooks will follow a conventional curriculum up to class eight, but they will include several updates. For students in classes 9 and 10, older curriculum books will be used, but these will also undergo many changes. Additionally, the number of books is increasing due to the reopening of science, commerce, and humanities departments in secondary schools.
Professor Saidur Rahman from the NCTB assures that despite these challenges, efforts are being made to deliver the books on time. He believes that with diligent work from the printers, the process can be completed in time.
However, print industry experts are sceptical. Zahurul Islam, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Printing Industry Association, predicts that it will not be possible to distribute the class 9-10 books before March.
He emphasises the need for timely manuscript finalisation and curriculum updates to meet deadlines effectively.
