Free textbooks for all classes are being sold at high prices in Dhaka’s Nilkhet. The government has not yet been able to supply all textbooks for the 2025 academic year to students in grades one through ten.” This year, educational institutions have received only a limited amount of publications. Although a few more books were later provided, the majority of kids are still without them. Educational institutions report that the few books they received have already been dispersed, and that the remaining books will be distributed as soon as they become available. Meanwhile, free textbooks for all grades are available at several libraries in Dhaka’s Nilkhet. A syndicate is apparently buying textbooks from Banglabazar and selling them to students at exorbitant prices.
Free textbooks for all classes: Library-related individuals in Nilkhet have reported that books are purchased from Aziz Molla and Uzzal, owners of Banglabazar libraries, and then sold in Nilkhet libraries.
During an on-site visit to Nilkhet on Monday afternoon (January 13), textbooks for all classes from first to ninth and tenth grade were seen being sold. Free government textbooks were being sold at high prices at several libraries, including Mim Book House, Premier Book House, Arafat Book House, Shaheed Book Center, Book Line, and Arian Book Libraries. Mim Book House apparently sold these books wholesale to other library operators. According to library sources, these books came from Banglabazar.
The 2025 eighth-grade textbook Sahitya Kanika was discovered for sale at Nilkhet’s Arafat Book House for 250 BDT. No NCTB textbooks for any class were available for less than 200 BDT. When a consumer requested a receipt after purchasing a book, the library advised them that receipts are not issued for board textbooks.
Md. Shahid, the owner of Shahid Book Center, sold ninth and tenth-grade Bangla textbooks for 250 BDT and sixth-grade Charupath for 200 BDT. When questioned why the books were so expensive, Shahid explained to the purchaser that new books cost more and selling them is more difficult.
If all of the books were not available at Arafat Book House and Shahid Book Center, the library proprietors recommended consumers to Mim Book House and Premier Book House, where they promised all volumes would be available.
Before the evening, a visit to Mim Book House revealed that textbooks for all classes from first to ninth-tenth grade were available. Saiful’s younger brother, the owner of Mim Book House, was seen selling books wholesale to several libraries. When a customer asked if books for all classes were available, he confirmed that they had all the books for the current year.
Mim Book House charged a client 200 BDT for the ninth and tenth grade Mathematics books, 100 BDT for the ninth grade English for Today, 150 BDT for English Grammar and Composition, and 100 BDT for the sixth grade Bangla Druto Pathon-Anondo Path. At the same time, Rubel Book Corner was spotted preparing textbooks for sale, including volumes for all grades.
Meanwhile, a visit to Premier Book House before the evening revealed that scientific textbooks for ninth and tenth grades were in supply, but Bangla textbooks were unavailable. However, a client was told that all books would be accessible by January 20.
Inquiries at several educational institutions in the capital indicated that all textbooks for grades one, two, and three, as well as Bangla, English, and Mathematics books for grade seven, were distributed on the first day of the school year. Further investigations through Thursday revealed that the remaining grade seven books had also been given. However, additional textbooks are yet to arrive at the schools.
Khairunnahar Lipi, an assistant teacher at Mohammadpur Government Primary School, said, “We initially distributed all books for grades one, two, and three, as well as Bangla, English, and Mathematics books for grade seven.” Later, additional books for Class Seven were distributed. So far, we’ve been able to give books for grades one, two, three, and seven.
When asked how it is possible that textbooks are not delivered to educational institutions yet are freely available in Nilkhet, the NCTB administration claimed that this is due to a group of dishonest printing house owners.
According to NCTB Chairman Professor Dr. A.K.M. Riazul Hasan, “This is the work of unethical printers.”
When asked if action will be taken against these unscrupulous printers, the NCTB Chairman stated, “Measures have already been taken.” Multiple intelligence services are conducting raids. The printers were summoned and warned. The perpetrators will be brought to justice.
In response to allegations of book supply from Banglabazar, several phone calls to Aziz Molla, the owner of Aziz Book, went unanswered. When called, Ujjal, another bookshop owner, replied, “I’ll talk in 10 minutes,” but did not answer the phone again.
Meanwhile, on Monday, January 13, Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud informed reporters at the Planning Commission, “It will be possible to provide all textbooks to students by February.”
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