Dhaka:The government is focused on delivering revised textbooks to nearly four crore students before the 2027 academic year begins. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is actively working to ensure that quality textbooks reach upazila-level distribution points by November 30.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the printing progress for pre-primary and primary textbooks is satisfactory, while the work on Ebtedayee and secondary levels is advancing. The NCTB's production report as of October 28 indicates that 98.21 percent of the textbooks for pre-primary and primary levels have been printed. Printing progress for the Ebtedayee and secondary levels stands at 57.66 percent.
The NCTB has intensified its monitoring efforts to expedite the printing of textbooks for Classes VIII and IX-X, aiming for timely delivery for the 2027 academic year. This year, 113 printing companies have been contracted across 623 lots to print a total of 30,71,98,101 textbooks for various educational levels, including pre-primary, primary, secondary, Ebtedayee, Dakhil, vocational, and technical streams.
The report highlights that a significant portion of the textbooks, including materials for small ethnic communities and students with visual impairments, commenced printing a month earlier than last year. Specifically, 5,628,153 of the 5,730,640 pre-primary textbooks are complete, with 88.48 percent of these undergoing pre-delivery inspection (PDI).
Chairman of NCTB, Professor Mohammed Fakhrul Mawla, noted that over 90 percent of the textbook printing for pre-primary and primary levels is complete, with significant progress also made for Ebtedayee and Classes VI and VII. However, the printing for Classes VIII and IX-X has been slower, attributed in part to the issuance of fresh tenders for several lots.
To address delays, 32 printing presses have been issued show-cause notices, with the potential for contracts to be canceled and reassigned to other companies if necessary. The NCTB continues to monitor the situation closely, ensuring quality control through 53 monitoring teams operating nationwide.
Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon emphasized that the government will not tolerate substandard textbooks and has set reasonable prices to avoid quality compromises. Monitoring and distribution efforts continue to meet the November 30 deadline, ensuring textbooks are available to students before the new academic year.