DHAKA – According to a report from Prothom Alo, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is facing a crisis in its plan to distribute free textbooks to primary and secondary students for the upcoming academic year. The main issue stems from the cancellation of the tender for printing textbooks for grades six, seven, and eight, which has created uncertainty about whether all students will receive their books by January 2026.

The reason for the cancellation of the tender has not been officially announced, but there were rumors that the printing work might be put up for an international tender. NCTB has denied this, stating that an internal re-tender will be held. This re-tendering process could take up to five months, which is a significant challenge to meet the deadline, especially since printers are also expected to be busy with other work during November and December.

However, the article notes that the process for printing primary-level books is well underway. Tenders for pre-primary to grade five books have been approved, and the books are expected to be supplied within 70 days as per the contract. The approval for grades nine and ten textbooks is also expected soon. Despite the progress with primary-level books, the situation remains highly uncertain for secondary-level students.

Source: This rewritten article is based on reporting from Prothom Alo.