TDS Desk:

Approximately 10,000 textbooks, supposed to be distributed for free, have been seized, with two individuals arrested in connection with the incident.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) conducted a raid on Wednesday afternoon in the Ispahani Alley area of Bangla Bazar, Sutrapur, in the capital, seizing two truckloads of textbooks from various warehouses, police said on Thursday.

The arrested individuals were identified as Sirajul Islam Ujjal, 55, and Delwar Hossain, 56.

Despite the new year already well underway, students across the country are still awaiting their textbooks. The books, meant for primary and secondary school students, were valued at approximately Tk8 lakh.

DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Nasirul Islam said: “A syndicate had stockpiled free government textbooks for grades 1 through 10 in warehouses in Ispahani Alley with the intent of selling them.

“Acting on this information, we raided the area and seized nearly 10,000 textbooks. We have also identified other groups involved in this illegal activity, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them.”

The seized books will be handed over to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) following court instructions, the DB officer added.

In response to questions, Nasirul said a syndicate had been diverting books meant for distribution, selling them on the market instead. “The group allegedly procured extra books and sold them for a significant profit.”

When asked if there was a possibility of additional books being printed illegally, the DB official said: “There are around 116 government-contracted presses that print textbooks, including facilities both inside and outside Dhaka. We are currently investigating whether extra books were printed. If we find any evidence of this, strict action will be taken.”

He also confirmed that the storage of textbooks is limited to two NCTB warehouses in Tejgaon and Tongi, ruling out the possibility of other locations being used for storage. “If we uncover any internal involvement, appropriate legal measures will be taken,” he added.

This is not Sirajul Islam’s first offence, the official revealed. “He had been arrested on similar charges 10 years ago. This time, textbooks were once again seized from his warehouse. Sirajul is reported to have bought the books for Tk10-12 each and sold them for Tk80-85.”

The DB has also identified other individuals involved in the irregularities of distribution and transportation, with further action expected.

According to the NCTB, out of 410 million textbooks scheduled for distribution this year, 100 million were handed out to students during the first two days of January. The remaining books are expected to be distributed by January 30. In the meantime, students have been advised to access the PDF versions of the textbooks available on the NCTB website to continue their studies.