Dhaka: The government is moving forward with a significant educational initiative, committing to the printing, binding, and supply of approximately 12.53 crore textbooks at no cost to secondary students for the 2026 academic session. The decision was made following the approval of three major procurement proposals by the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase, a move aimed at enhancing educational access.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the proposals, submitted by the Secondary and Higher Education Division, were approved during the 42nd meeting of the purchase committee this year, chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. These proposals focus on producing textbooks for classes six, seven, and eight in secondary schools, Dakhil madrasahs, and technical education institutions, available in both Bangla and English.
For Class Six, the government has allocated Taka 137.87 crore to print over 4.36 crore textbooks, to be produced by 77 firms selected from 98 bids. Class Seven textbooks will see a budget of Taka 150.01 crore for printing more than 4.15 crore copies, with 91 firms chosen from 100 bidders. Meanwhile, Class Eight textbooks involve a contract worth Taka 156.92 crore, covering over 4.02 crore copies to be printed by 90 firms, also selected through competitive bidding.
The proposals, submitted by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, underwent thorough scrutiny regarding cost structures, tendering processes, and workload before receiving recommendations for approval. This annual initiative is part of the government's strategy to provide free textbooks to schoolchildren nationwide, aiming to ensure educational access and reduce dropout rates.
Ensuring timely printing and distribution of these textbooks before the start of each academic year is a priority for both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.