Eskaton Garden High School is located on Eskaton Garden Road in the capital. On the first day of the new academic year, 1 January, a visit to the institution revealed that no textbooks for Classes Seven and Eight had arrived.
On the 11th day of the academic year, during a visit yesterday (Sunday), it was found that Class Seven had received Bangla textbooks for two subjects (First and Second Paper—Saptabarna and Anandapath). Class Eight students had received textbooks for five subjects. The remaining books have yet to arrive.
However, the school authorities have received all textbooks for all grades at the primary level, as well as all textbooks for Classes Six and Nine (except Accounting).
As several changes have been made to textbook content this year, teachers are unable to rely on old books for instruction. As a result, the absence of textbooks for all subjects in Classes Seven and Eight is causing difficulties in conducting regular classes.
Like Eskaton Garden High School, many schools across the country have yet to distribute textbooks for all subjects to students of Classes Seven and Eight. This is because the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has not yet been able to supply all textbooks for these two grades.
However, textbooks for most subjects have been supplied for secondary-level Classes Six and Nine. Textbook distribution at the primary level has been completed 100 per cent.
The government says that all students will receive all textbooks for all subjects by 15 January. However, sources involved in textbook printing say that while printing work may reach its final stage by 15 January, completing binding, pre-delivery inspection (PDI), and other related processes—and supplying all textbooks for all subjects—may take a few more days. The longer the delay in receiving new textbooks, the greater the academic loss for students.
According to NCTB sources, the total number of textbooks from pre-primary to secondary level for the 2026 academic year exceeds 302 million copies. Of these, textbooks at the secondary level (including Ebtedayee) amount to 214 million (Precsiely 21 crore 43 lakh 14,274) copies. Data available up to 8:00 pm on 10 January show that 86.37 per cent of textbooks have been supplied, amounting to more than 185 million copies. More than 29.29 million books—13.63 per cent—have yet to be delivered.
At the Ramna Thana Secondary Education Office in Segunbagicha, the education officer for the area, Abdullah Al Maruf, spoke to Prothom Alo. He said textbooks are being distributed this year to 28 secondary schools under his jurisdiction. All textbooks for Classes Six and Nine have been distributed. For Class Eight, textbooks for all subjects except Information and Communication Technology have arrived. For Class Seven, only the two Bangla textbooks have been delivered.
When this correspondent visited the office on 1 January, books were seen being unloaded from small trucks. Yesterday, a large truck was seen unloading books—indicating that deliveries are still ongoing.
When contacted, NCTB Member (Textbooks) Professor Riyad Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that they are hopeful all students will receive all textbooks within the next few days.
Situation outside Dhaka
Speaking to the Netrokona District Primary Education Office, Prothom Alo’s Netrokona correspondent reported that at the secondary level (including Ebtedayee and technical education), the total demand for textbooks in the district is 2.605 million copies. Of these, more than 2.191 million textbooks have been supplied. A shortfall of more than 413,000 books still remains.
Netrokona District Education Officer Jahangir Kabir Ahammed said there is a shortage of some textbooks for Classes Seven and Eight at the secondary level. He expressed hope that these books can be supplied to educational institutions within a week.
At Shaheed Smriti Bidyapith in Kendua upazila of Netrokona, there are a total of 329 students. The school’s headteacher, Md Asaduzzaman, told Prothom Alo that Class Eight students have yet to receive their Mathematics textbook. There are 65 students in that class.