Taking the advantage of lax monitoring by law enforcement agencies, banned guidebooks and notes are being sold at all the upazilas of Rajshahi.
Despite directives from the High Court and Prime Minister’s Office, no special mobile court has been formed in Rajshahi to check the illegal selling.
Local sources a good number of printing presses in the city are involved in printing and supply of the notes and guidebooks using the names of some renowned Dhaka-based publications or libraries like Jupiter, Panjery, Anupam, Furkuri, Lecture, Galaxy and Noboputhighar.
Guardians are also buying the notebooks expending huge sum of money for the children, as teachers advised students to buy notebooks, guardians said.
Some influential bookstall owners at Sonadhigir Moor in Rajshahi city are carrying out their trade of banned notes and guidebooks allegedly after managing some dishonest officials of district administration, alleged several civil society members.
Stall owners supply the notes and guidebooks to students allegedly through a section of teachers, headmasters and leaders of different teachers’ organisations in exchange of handsome amount of bribery.
During this correspondent’s visit to different schools at nine upazilas of the district, about 90% students informed the Dhaka Tribune that they have already bought all of the guidebooks recommended by their teachers.
The dependency on notebooks and guides has increased alarmingly nowadays after the introduction of creative system at primary, said a teacher seeking anonymity.“Many dishonest teachers asked their students to buy particular notebooks from bookstalls giving their reference and in this way they get a good sum of money as commission,” he said.
“A student can make good results by reading the main textbook with attention. There is no need for any note or guidebook for this,” said Badsha Alam, a teacher of Bangla of Rajshahi University School.
Anisur Rahman, guardian of a class III student in a city school, said: “I have got textbooks free of cost. But I have to buy guidebooks at a cost of Tk500 and grammar books at Tk 700 which is a burden for my family.”
According to the bookstalls, guidebooks from class one to class eight are being sold in between Tk500 and Tk1,2000.
A bookseller in condition of anonymity said they had to pay tolls to both the civil and police administrations for getting permission to sell illegal notebooks and guidebooks.
While visiting bookstalls in the city, few stall owners seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that they sell the notebooks and guidebooks to the students secretly through some agents who are involved with teachers. For this purpose, they pay give some financial benefit to the teachers.
Several printing presses in the town, involved in printing and supply of the notes and guidebooks, use the names of a few renowned publications of Dhaka, they added.
When contacted, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Mezba Uddin Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune, they are yet to conduct any drive against illegal trade and distributions of notebooks this year.
He said they would conduct special drives to stop selling of guideboks and notebooks.
Recently, the Prime Minister’s Office on February 9 this year has issued a fresh direction to the home and education ministries to take stern action against the publishers of notebooks and guides which a syndicate has long been forcing students to buy flouting a ban on their marketing.
The education ministry however, on December 10 in 2007 issued an order to all deputy commissioners to take steps, including formation of mobile courts, to enforce the law.
Besides, a high court directive in this regard also in force since 2008, to take action against the traders of note and guidebooks from class one to class 8.