Banned guides, note books flood markets

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Chittagong Bureau :
The book markets of the port city of Chittagong and elsewhere in the district have been flooded with the illegal guide books and notebooks for the students of class one to eight defying the government ban on it.
Though the ban on notebook is more than three decades old, this illegal practice continues , guardians alleged.
Besides, the city market is witnessing an influx of huge low quality of notebooks published from the different places of the country, the teachers and the students have expressed their grave concern over this that might hamper the creativity of the tender students.
In such a situation the education board, which is supposed to play a role, is keeping mum, some teachers and guardians alleged.
During a visit by our correspondent , New Market, Chawkbazar and Anderkilla – the three major book markets of the port city and also different upzilla head quarters of the greater Chittagong, it was found that the banned guides and notebooks are being sold openly.
The publishers and sellers are doing brisk business in notebook because of high demand. ” For the business and making profit, we are bound to sell the note books since there is great demand,” a bookseller of Chawkbazar told this correspondent seeking anonymity.
It is quite impossible to find out the publishers of the books as most of those were printed with false and fictitious addresses, the seller said.
The ban on notebook brought by Education Ministry came into force on February 22 in 1980. As per law, it is a punishable offence to print, publish and distribute notebooks for the students from class one to class eight.”
But it is a matter of concern that the Education Ministry and the concerned agencies did not takie any measures against the illegal marketing of guide and note book business, one teacher said.
Due to lack of proper application of the law, the business of selling notebooks goes on openly, he added.
Many of the notebooks are reportedly published at Bangla Bazar Dhaka, Choumohani in Noakhali and Comilla. Some publishers however print the guide and notebooks under head of ‘ an expert headmaster’.
With the massive spelling mistakes and wrong information, these notebooks printed on low quality papers are creating problem for the tender students.
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