Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud has said he does not know when the students will get textbooks for the current academic year.

“Due to various circumstances, I can't say specifically when all the books will be available for students this year,” he said in response to a question while talking to reporters at the secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Around 40 crore books are needed for students of primary and secondary levels this year and of which, only six crore books were distributed among the students as of 6 January, according to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).

Meanwhile, the government has reverted to the 2012 curriculum. Furthermore, the delay in issuing the work order has been caused by various reasons, including the need to re-invite tenders.

“In the past, the books were not fully provided before March. We have started the book printing process later than usual. Additionally, we had to retouch the textbooks, reset the syllabus and curriculum and the number of books increased this year,” he said, citing the cause of the delay in book distribution.

The education adviser said the government, for the first time, is preparing all textbooks locally, proving the country’s capability. “So it will be late,” he said.