Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid paid a visit to a printing press in the capital yesterday along with a team of journalists, claiming it was sudden, although other parties concerned said the visit was pre-planned.
The ministry’s information department termed the visit to the Banglabazar printing press area “sudden”, to monitor whether the textbooks are being printed properly, the visiting journalist team as well as other parties did no omen of it being ‘sudden’.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, a number of printing press owners said they knew about the visit earlier.
At one instance, a group of printers handed Nahid a well made bouquet of flowers. Many present there commented that the flowers could not be arranged suddenly.
Around 10 am, the ministry’s Deputy Chief Information Officer Subodh Chandra Dhali sent an email to journalists saying Minister Nahid would pay surprise visits to different places of the city. The email also stated that there would be two micro buses for journalists.
The visit started at 2 PM and ended at 3: 30 PM. The minister’s motorcade consisted of 24 vehicles.
Nahid visited some printing houses to show journalists how the printing process worked.
The minister’s car halted at the Banglabazar post office and the leaders of Banglabazar Publishers Association welcomed him.
The whole welcome session was so proper that none present believed the visit was sudden.
“The owner of the shop where I work told me earlier that the minister would come on Monday. We were prepared and even cleaned our shop,” an office assistant of a printing house said.
Seeking anonymity, a leader of Bangladesh Textbook Printers and Publishers Association, said that they had known about the visit two days ago and informed the Banglabazar publishers accordingly.
Nahid the ministry would take action against printers who use low quality paper to print textbooks.
“Stern action will be taken against printers who use low quality paper for printing textbooks,” he said.
“We are monitoring the printing process and whenever we will receive any allegations against any printers, we will investigate and take action,” he added.
The minister took some samples of paper from printers and said that he would have them tested in a laboratory. “If the quality is found to be low standard, cases will be filed against such printers,” he said.