The initiative to provide free textbooks for all the students at schools, madrasahs and vocational training institutes across the country from the first day of each academic year started in 2010, under the Awami League-led 'Mohajote' (Grand Coalition) government that came to office following the December 2008 election. For all practical purposes, we can say they implemented this at the very first opportunity they got, having made it a cornerstone of their vision for the education sector, under the leadership of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid.

That first year, it cost Tk 300 crore, and some 19 crore books had to be distributed among 2.76 crore students. Undoubtedly, it was a great challenge for the government to print and distribute the books. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the government agency responsible for publishing and distributing textbooks, faced various problems, including a fire that burnt down an NCTB warehouse, but they got it done, on January 2.

A little-known ex-secretary general of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) who had never been elected till switching to AL in 1994, Nahid had gained a reputation as a thinker on education within AL circles. From the day of the government's swearing in, in January 2009, he hit the ground running in his ministry, and had the draft of what became the 2012 Education Policy ready by September. Practically all of 2009 was spent building up to the promise of January 1, and even if they were a day late, the public didn't mind that at all, because it was such a good policy.

Over the course of the next decade-and-a-half, and under a string of different education ministers, irrespective of the degree to which they succeeded in what was clearly a huge undertaking, the January 1 Book Festival on school campuses across the country was maintained. So what if they fell a bit short at times? It would always be certain classes only, or in certain regions, where the students wouldn't have gotten all of their books. Everybody still recognised what a massive undertaking this was, both from a policy perspective and also in terms of logistics.

This year, according to NCTB, the number of books is 40.15 crore, while the number of students is just over 4 crore. And by January 8, it had managed to complete just 27.4 percent of the task, just over 11 crore books.

A day earlier, Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud had acknowledged the uncertainty that still existed about when all the students would receive all their textbooks for the current academic year. He was taking questions from journalists following a meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Government Procurement, usually called the Cabinet Purchase Committee under elected governments, with its meetings held at the Secretariat.

Explaining the delays, or trying to at least, the adviser said: "We started the book printing process late. We had to revise the books, and the syllabus and curriculum had to be redone. The number of books has increased significantly. No books are being printed abroad. This is the first time we are seeing the full extent of the country's capacity. Naturally, this causes delays."

He also noted a shortage of necessary materials for book production. "This year, it became evident that even after recovering all the art paper stored in various warehouses, there was still a shortage within the country. Ships carrying art paper have already departed from abroad," he explained.

But asked for a timeline within which all students would receive their books, Wahiduddin Mahmud studiously refused to be drawn on the subject. "I cannot say when everyone will receive all their books," was all he said, with disarming frankness. At least he wasn't lying, or trying not to lie."

NCTB chairman Reazul Hassan mentioned that in 2024 the distribution of free textbooks was completed on March 7, in 2023 on March 17, in 2022 on March 24, in 2019 on April 17, in 2018 on March 13, and so on. So it was totally unnecessary to beat oneself up over it. But the government has been on the defensive from the start.

If you consider the reasons articulated by Wahiduddin Mahmud, there is no doubt that the actual printing process started too late to have any chance of being finished on time. And if the government, or even the NCTB had been frank and forthright about this from the start, that there would be an inevitable delay this year, it would've been less vulnerable to criticism when it came to pass. Instead, even till mid-November, the NCTB was expressing its optimism that 90 percent of books would be distributed by Christmas. But of course it never got even close to that.

The fact of the matter is, once it was decided that some changes to the textbooks were absolutely essential in light of the July Uprising, it was more or less certain that there would be delays. It could also be worthwhile reconsidering two other novelties about this year's books: firstly, that they would be printed on a higher quality art paper, which was a decision taken well before the July movement even got underway. Secondly, the decision to rely completely on our domestic printing industry to execute this enormous project. In both cases, the decision taken would seem to have been correct. But were they absolutely necessary this year, when they could potentially further delay the process?

There was a scope to prioritise between revision of the syllabus, 100% printing on art paper, and 100% local procurement. In the end the interim government seemed unable to be decisive, and ended up going for all three at the same time. Even though by the time printing finally got underway in the last week of October, usually the government expects 50 percent of the printing component to be complete.

Revision time

Still, the failure to meet the January 1 deadline should not be seen as a mark of incompetence on the part of the government, or an indicator that it would fail next year as well. With the entire year now in its hands to ring in the changes necessary - and let's face it, changes were needed. Last year, the government had to print around 31 crore textbooks for the academic year. However, because of changes in the curriculum, the number of books increased to 40 crores for 2025.

As a starting point, the interim government decided to ditch the half-baked process of implementing a curriculum introduced in 2022, that was in parts implemented in 2023 and 2024. As such, it was decided to revert to Nahid's 2012 curriculum instead of continuing with the one introduced in 2022.

It also decided to remove "exaggerated" historical information or "unnecessary" glorification of any individual in textbooks for the upcoming academic year - even though it was still pretty early days, we all knew what that meant.

It wasn't till October, more than two months after taking office, that the IG became firm in its decision to overhaul the entire syllabus, in order to include references to the historic events of July-August 2024 in Bangladesh. That meant revising textbooks for all grades from the upcoming academic year, with a particular focus on incorporating the spirit of the July uprising and re-evaluating historical narratives.

According to the NCTB, graffiti, wall art and calligraphy depicting the July uprising are being incorporated in the textbooks instead of inflated portrayals. Brief biographies of the martyrs of 2024, like Abu Sayed and Mir Mugdha, have been included in the revised edition of textbooks, according to NCTB officials familiar with the matter.

In a change that seems particularly urgent, the back covers of all textbooks, which currently display a photograph of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her quotes, will be removed. Instead, the back covers of the textbooks will feature graffiti and calligraphy as symbols of the July uprising.

Graffiti will appear on the back covers of Bangla, English, Social Studies, Science, and History books, while Islamic calligraphy will be used on Islamic Studies and madrasah religious textbooks, representing the spirit of the movement.

NCTB officials indicate that various exaggerated stories of the Awami League government's developments and pictures of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the inner parts of all textbooks will be removed. Instead, the contributions of historical figures such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmad, and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani are being included as national heroes, with Zia enjoying the added accolade of being christened as the proclaimer of independence.

The source also indicates that minimal changes will be made to primary grade books from grades one to three. For grades four and five, revisions will include accurate spelling, some new contents, and adjustments to the questioning format. In grades six through ten, substantial modifications are planned for subjects such as Bengali, English, History, Science, and Social Science.

Given the government's reluctance to discuss a timetable (a bit like its reaction to discussing elections, till very recently). The NCTB chairman said: "By January 5 (Sunday), all remaining primary books and 8 secondary books will reach students. Additionally, by January 10, the books for the 10th grade and by January 20, all textbooks for other classes will be distributed. Out of the 41 million books, 6 million have already been distributed, and preparations are underway to distribute another 4 million books."

For the 2025 academic year, 691 government-provided free core textbooks for primary and secondary students have been newly revised. Of these, 441 books have been revised and converted into PDF format, which have already been uploaded on the NCTB website.

Where memories fail

The most reliable indicator of which way the wind is blowing in Bangladeshi politics, is to look at who is getting the credit for declaring independence in 1971. In the Bangladesh and Global Studies book for classes four to 10, there might be a change in the chapter on the history of the Liberation War.

According to NCTB sources, "Declaration of Independence by Bangabandhu on 26th March" may be revised. The text may read: "On March 26, Ziaur Rahman declared independence," and on March 27, a declaration of independence was made again on behalf of Bangabandhu, they said.

Since 2010, a year after Sheikh Hasina came to power for the second time, the textbooks had mentioned that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence via a wireless message just before he was arrested by the Pakistan army on March 26, 1971.

Some of the editors involved in the project to update or upgrade the books mention this as a prime example of "exaggerated, imposed history".

During the process to revise the textbooks, they couldn't factually establish such a claim climmmformation that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent the wireless message [declaring independence] while being arrested by the Pakistani army, and so they decided to remove it."

Earlier, in the textbooks of classes one to 10, the information on who made the declaration of independence was changed according to the government in power.

It is widely believed among supporters of Awami League that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had made the announcement, and that Ziaur Rahman, who was an army major and later a sector commander of the Liberation War, merely read out the declaration upon Mujib's instructions.

Meanwhile, supporters of BNP believe their party founder and also former president of the country Ziaur had made the declaration.

Former NCTB officials said that when AL was in power from 1996-2001, the textbooks stated Sheikh Mujib made the declaration of independence and Ziaur Rahman read out the announcement. On the other hand, when the BNP was in power from 2001-2006, it was stated that Ziaur had made the declaration.

They, however, could not recall what was written in the textbooks before 1996.