Press Release
Dhaka, 12 October 2025: Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has observed that instead of identifying ways to overcome the longstanding challenges surrounding the autonomy, transparency, accountability, and good governance of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the government’s decision to transfer the responsibility of printing, publishing, and distributing pre-primary and primary level textbooks to the Directorate of Primary Education is like “cutting off the head to cure a headache.” Such a move will not solve the existing problems. TIB has urged the government to identify the weaknesses in all aspects of textbook development and distribution and to take initiatives to ensure NCTB’s autonomy and institutional good governance with transparency and accountability.
Emphasizing that effective autonomy and good governance of NCTB must be ensured, and that no ad-hoc decentralization initiative will be fruitful, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said in a statement, “The interim government’s initiative to hand over the responsibility of printing and distributing primary-level textbooks to the Directorate of Primary Education by amending the existing law will only weaken the NCTB without bringing any qualitative change in achieving the intended goals. Effective measures must be taken to address governance deficits and to prevent and curb widespread irregularities and corruption. All those directly or indirectly involved in corruption must be held to exemplary account. Moreover, instead of solving the core problems, there is no reasonable justification for abolishing NCTB’s long-standing experience in textbook-related activities under bureaucratic influence and assigning this crucial responsibility to the Directorate of Primary Education, which would have to start almost from scratch. In the current context, granting the Directorate separate jurisdiction over textbook printing will only deepen the existing crisis and lack of coordination. Furthermore, if transparency, accountability, and good governance in operations cannot be ensured, this so-called decentralization—despite involving two implementing agencies—will not yield any positive results. Rather, irregularities and corruption will simply be transferred from one institution to another.”
While holding NCTB solely responsible for failures such as delays in supplying textbooks on time, questions over quality, and lack of coordination may seem logical at first glance, can the concerned ministry and directorate avoid their share of responsibility? - questioned Dr. Zaman, further adding, “Due to inter-agency conflicts, abuse of power, and direct and indirect obstacles to autonomy, NCTB has suffered from inefficiency, irregularities, and professional degradation, rendering it unable to effectively carry out its assigned responsibilities. In this situation, the government must take effective measures to ensure that NCTB has full authority to make independent decisions on all matters related to textbook development, including tender processes, printing, publishing, and distribution. At the same time, TIB calls for identifying the reasons behind the various failures and irregularities that have arisen against the institution over time and ensuring accountability of those responsible.”
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Email: tauhidul@ti-bangladesh.org
