Most English version students yet to get free of cost textbooks

Most of the English version students of national curriculum and textbook board are yet to get free of cost textbooks although the government pledged to provide those on the first day of the calendar year.
Many renowned schools of the capital city did not get free text books for the primary level English version students.
Guardians, specially who have children in class five, are worried as the students are preparing for Primary School Certificate (PSC) examination.
Book shops in the city's Nilkhet area are experiencing rush of guardians to buy copied books of previous years.
Talking to the FE, Rowshon Ara, a guardian of the city's Motijheel Ideal School said, she bought photocopied books from Nilkhet as classes of the schools have started running in full swing.
"Full-fledged classes in the schools commenced from the first day of the current year, but students of the English version did not get their books yet," she said.
A number of guardians of the primary level students have complained about the unusual delay in delivering textbooks while Bangla medium students already got their books on January 1.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid Tuesday formed a five member committee, headed by joint secretary (secondary), to monitor the matter.
Talking to the newsmen at the secretariat Tuesday, education minister said he would monitor the issue.
He urged the guardians not to buy copied books from markets as new books will be available within a short time.
Ajhar Uddin, a shop owner of city's Nilkhet area, said: "We have to take the risk of selling copied books following huge demand of the guardians every year.
"I know it is banned by copyright law. We have to face the law enforcing personnel for selling copied books," he said.
On the first day of the calendar year, Bangla medium students of primary, secondary level and Madrasah celebrated 'Textbook Distribution Festival'.
Unfortunately, majority of the primary level English version students in Dhaka, Gazipur and other areas did not receive their textbooks.
A teacher of city's renowned school said they did not receive textbooks of English version primary level students from education ministry.
"We have information that 50 per cent of the English version textbooks are not yet published. It may need two-three weeks to make those books available to all children of primary level," he said.