Students being forced to buy guide books in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, June 14: Though the government has banned the selling of guide books, the students of class 5 to 10 of all upazilas and district sadar were being forced to buy them. Thus, the students are becoming meritless and the guardians are getting economically losers. Some students and guardians, who came to purchase the guide books said, they were being forced to buy the books from the school and they are also being threatened that, if they don't buy the books recommended by the teachers, they will not be awarded sufficient marks in the examination.

It is known from the sources that, by convincing the leaders of primary and secondary teachers association of the upazilas, the representatives of publication farms were forcing the students to purchase the guide books. The guardians complained that, not only the leaders of the teachers association are involved but the teachers are also directly involved in this guide business.

This guide books are being sold in a large number in the all book markets including at Taherpur Municipal market of the Bagmara upazila, Godagari sadar markets, Puthia markets and in Paba upazila markets. It is learnt, book store owners of those upazilas were storing those books in a hiding place of the shops and were suppplying those to the students and their guardians according to the demand of buyers. Asoke Chakravarty, a teacher of a local school in Puthia upazila informed, hundreds of teachers of local schools and madrashas were being lured by the agents of publishers of the guide books to convince and even force their students to purchase guide books belonged to certain publisher. He further informed, publishers of those books were offering a handsome commission to the teachers as against sale of guide books.

Asadul Haque, a former headmaster and President of School Teachers Association of Godagari upazila said if any allegation against any teacher of the upazila of forcing any student or guardian to purchase a guide book is proved, stern action will be taken against him.

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