98pc textbooks reach Upazilas

Around 98 per cent of free textbooks meant for distribution among school students reached the Upazila headquarters by December 24, a week before the beginning of a new academic year. Md Abul Kashem Miah, Chairman of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), is hopeful that the remaining books will arrive at the Upazila headquarters ‘in a day or two’. He expressed the hopes while talking to this correspondent on Wednesday afternoon. He said this year the government plans to distribute around 326.35 million books among 44.40 million students at the primary, junior secondary and secondary levels in the 2015 academic year, beginning on January 1. For the past 5 years, the government has been distributing new books among the students on January 1. The day is celebrated as ‘book festival’. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said he was happy that textbooks had reached all parts of the country before the New Year in the last five yeas. The minister said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the celebration by handing over books to students at different levels. He said education, and primary and mass education ministries would jointly hold the festival at Motijheel Govt Boys’ High School on Jan 1, according to a news agency.