Allegations of Irregularities in Textbook Printing Tender
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an investigation into alleged procurement irregularities and corruption involving approximately 310 million (31 crore) textbooks printed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). Officials from the Ministry of Education, the NCTB, and printing press owners face allegations of leaking estimated prices during an active tender and artificially inflating procurement costs to embezzle nearly BDT 2.50 billion (250 crore).
Following allegations surrounding the approval of a non-competitive, high-priced tender, the ACC recently conducted an enforcement drive at the NCTB headquarters to seize relevant procurement documents. The commission is reviewing potential breaches of the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) 2025. However, NCTB management maintains that all tender procedures were executed in full compliance with existing procurement regulations, denying any deliberate operational wrongdoing during the process.
Addressing the ongoing investigation, Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon stated, ‘High-quality textbooks cannot be expected at unusually low rates; our primary objective is to deliver quality books at fair market value to students.’ He further emphasized, ‘The ACC is free to take statutory action if irregularities are established, but it must also be examined whether anyone is intentionally attempting to disrupt the timely distribution of books to school children across the nation.’
According to official NCTB records, 306,198,101 copies of textbooks are scheduled for printing for the 2027 academic year, encompassing 5,730,640 copies for pre-primary, 79,424,538 copies for primary, and 221,042,923 copies for secondary education levels. The total estimated government expenditure for this printing program stands at approximately BDT 21 billion (2,100 crore). Tenders initially launched under former NCTB Chairman Mahbubul Haque Patwary established lower initial estimated rates per forma following formal approval by the Head of Procuring Entity (HOPE).
Procurement dynamics shifted after Professor Mohammad Fakhrul Maula assumed office as Chairman on June 10, when NCTB Member Professor Abu Naser Tuku allegedly leaked confidential estimates to press owners. During an official visit on June 21, Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon reportedly noted in discussions that spending BDT 200–500 million (20–50 crore) extra is not an issue for the government, and low estimates should not be set to avoid sabotage, leading the 423rd NCTB board meeting to approve revised, higher estimated tender rates that same day.
Procurement experts emphasize that altering official cost estimates during a live tender violates established procurement rules. Under PPR 2025, adjusting approved estimates requires either issuing a re-tender or approving an award up to 10% above estimate, subject to fresh market verification and budget availability. Furthermore, Rule 44(2) dictates that tenders may be cancelled if the lowest evaluated bid exceeds a realistic estimate or if effective competition is lacking, conditions that were allegedly ignored despite single-bid submissions dominating 30 out of 45 procurement packages.
Analysis indicates that collusive bidding among press syndicates raised the average forma rate to BDT 3.32 for secondary level and BDT 3.54 for primary level, significantly exceeding the competitive rates of BDT 2.31 and BDT 3.44 achieved in the 2026 academic year. Following the ACC drive, NCTB officials reportedly summoned press owners on Wednesday to gather backdated letters asserting the revised estimates were realistic. NCTB Chairman Professor Fakhrul Maula remained unavailable for comment, though an anonymous official confirmed rates were increased by 10 to 11 poisha per class following board approval.
To guarantee quality compliance despite the controversy, Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon outlined strict oversight protocols, stating, ‘Upazila education officers have been directed to inspect book shipments against technical specifications before acceptance, and 20 percent of printing bills will be withheld pending physical classroom sample verifications.’ He added that contracts for suppliers failing to meet the December 30 delivery deadline will be canceled, noting the government maintains contingency measures to print remaining textbooks from China within a month if necessary.
