Secondary-level books distribution: The old crisis of management

THE New Year has begun. But the printing of secondary-level books has not yet been completed.

This is not just an administrative failure, it is a manifestation of the inconsistency of the management of the relevant sector.

According to NCTB data, out of the more than 210 million books scheduled to be printed for the secondary level in the 2026 academic year, more than 115 million have yet to be printed.

As a result, more than 10 million students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will be forced to go to class without new textbooks. This reality is causing frustration among students, parents, and teachers alike.

It is also true that such a situation is not entirely new. There have been several delays in the printing and distribution of books in the past, sometimes due to tender complications, sometimes due to administrative indecision, and sometimes due to paper and printing capacity issues.

That is why the current crisis cannot be seen as just a failure of a particular year; rather, it is a repetition of long-standing structural weaknesses.

In this case, it was possible to print and deliver books at the primary and elementary levels relatively on time, but at the secondary level, the process slowed down significantly.

The situation is particularly critical for the eighth grade. Out of more than 40 million books, only a few percent have been printed.

According to the officials concerned, the target of reaching the upazila level by November was set at the beginning of the year and tenders were invited in May.

But the complaints surrounding the tender, the lengthy process of cancellation and re-tendering have delayed the entire process.

Due to the cancellation of the tender, some categories of work had to be restarted, which made it difficult to complete on time.

It is also important to remember that printing and distributing books is a very large and complex process, involving many parties, such as paper mills, presses, administration, and policymakers.

While it is important to ensure transparency and accountability here, it is also necessary to make the entire system more realistic and timely.

Talking about waiting until March means creating a major risk at the beginning of the academic year.

Therefore, alternative measures, step-by-step book supply, and the use of temporary support materials in classrooms must be taken on an urgent basis.

Learning from this experience, simplifying the tender process, considering reality in determining the quality of paper and printing.

It is important to ensure timeliness in decision-making. Otherwise, the old story of uncertainty about books at the beginning of the New Year will return again and again.