M M Jasim :
The distribution of the new textbooks among the students on the eve of New Year across the country is uncertain, as the Printing Industries Association of Bangladesh (PIAB) is on strike since Tuesday.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and the PIAB authorities blamed each other for the chaos.
NCTB Chairman Narayan Chandra Pal said, “We don’t know why have they started work abstention. There is no logical reason behind their movement. They have to supply books with proper packaging as per international standard.”
“The printers have raised some illegal demands. These are not acceptable in line with the Public Procurement Rules (PPR),” he said.
When asked about the work abstention of the printers, the chairman said: “It will not cause any problem. We will be able to distribute the books in time, as this deadlock will not continue for ever.”
He said that they would hold meetings with all, including Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, soon to resolve the crisis.
He said also they have full faith in the printing industry and believe that it will come to the negotiating table. This year, the NCTB has started working on printing of 35 crore textbooks for distribution in the beginning of 2018.
Meanwhile, the PIAB leaders claimed that the NCTB was delayed to meet their demands.
They accused the NCTB of supplying them wrong CDs containing soft copies of Ebtedayee books instead of primary general books. They asked the NCTB authorities to give them some additional time. But the NCTB did not meet our demands and even it issued letters on September 6 to accelerate the progress of printing books.
The NCTB mentioned during the tender that they would sit to discuss about the supply of the textbooks with wrapping papers. But suddenly the NCTB asked us to supply it with wrapping papers which is not possible now, they said.
They also said that the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) has told the presses that 10 per cent of their bills would be deducted, but the DPE is not the authority to do it.
PIAB Chairman Tofayel Khan told The New Nation that when the presses are working with the international standards technology to print books, a syndicate inside the NCTB is conspiring against the printing owners.
“We know the syndicate and why they are doing that. They want to make the native company sufferers. They also will be benefited if the foreign company gets printing work. But we are aware about it,” the chairman said.
He also said that at least 140 printing presses of the country worked with full attention to supply the textbooks in time. Now they have stopped their work. It is NCTB’s responsibility to resolve the prevailing crisis.
The distribution of the new textbooks among the students on the eve of New Year across the country is uncertain, as the Printing Industries Association of Bangladesh (PIAB) is on strike since Tuesday.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and the PIAB authorities blamed each other for the chaos.
NCTB Chairman Narayan Chandra Pal said, “We don’t know why have they started work abstention. There is no logical reason behind their movement. They have to supply books with proper packaging as per international standard.”
“The printers have raised some illegal demands. These are not acceptable in line with the Public Procurement Rules (PPR),” he said.
When asked about the work abstention of the printers, the chairman said: “It will not cause any problem. We will be able to distribute the books in time, as this deadlock will not continue for ever.”
He said that they would hold meetings with all, including Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, soon to resolve the crisis.
He said also they have full faith in the printing industry and believe that it will come to the negotiating table. This year, the NCTB has started working on printing of 35 crore textbooks for distribution in the beginning of 2018.
Meanwhile, the PIAB leaders claimed that the NCTB was delayed to meet their demands.
They accused the NCTB of supplying them wrong CDs containing soft copies of Ebtedayee books instead of primary general books. They asked the NCTB authorities to give them some additional time. But the NCTB did not meet our demands and even it issued letters on September 6 to accelerate the progress of printing books.
The NCTB mentioned during the tender that they would sit to discuss about the supply of the textbooks with wrapping papers. But suddenly the NCTB asked us to supply it with wrapping papers which is not possible now, they said.
They also said that the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) has told the presses that 10 per cent of their bills would be deducted, but the DPE is not the authority to do it.
PIAB Chairman Tofayel Khan told The New Nation that when the presses are working with the international standards technology to print books, a syndicate inside the NCTB is conspiring against the printing owners.
“We know the syndicate and why they are doing that. They want to make the native company sufferers. They also will be benefited if the foreign company gets printing work. But we are aware about it,” the chairman said.
He also said that at least 140 printing presses of the country worked with full attention to supply the textbooks in time. Now they have stopped their work. It is NCTB’s responsibility to resolve the prevailing crisis.
