Education minister inspects six Dhaka presses to check textbook quality

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan made a mid-night inspection of six printing presses in Dhaka to check the quality of textbooks being produced for the 2027 academic year.

The minister visited the presses shortly after midnight on Monday (September 28), inspecting Mousumi Offset Press, Faiza Printing Press, Shaily Printers, Barnashikha Offset Printers, Sonali Web Printers and National Printers.

During the surprise inspections, he reviewed different stages of textbook production and checked the quality of paper, printing and other specifications. He also sought information from officials involved in the printing process about whether the prescribed standards were being followed.

The Education Ministry disclosed the inspections in a press release issued by its public relations department around 1am Tuesday.

The ministry said ensuring that students receive textbooks that meet the required quality standards is a key government responsibility. The latest inspections came amid concerns raised over the quality of free textbooks distributed to students in previous years.

Officials said printing presses involved in the textbook production process were being monitored regularly and instructed to comply with all contractual requirements and quality standards.

Mohammad Abu Naser Tuku, member (Text) of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), said textbook printing was progressing at full speed and that books would be delivered to educational institutions ahead of the deadline.

He expressed hope that all textbooks would be handed over to students on January 1, 2027.

According to NCTB data, around 309.23 million textbooks are scheduled to be printed for pre-primary, primary, Ebtedayee, secondary and ethnic minority students for the 2027 academic year. Of these, about 82.17 million copies are earmarked for pre-primary, primary and ethnic minority students, while nearly 33.30 million are for Ebtedayee students from grades one to five. Around 180 million copies are planned for students in grades six to nine.