Dhaka: The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Thursday approved several proposals involving the printing, binding, and supply of free textbooks for primary, Ebtedayee, secondary, Dakhil, and technical education levels for the 2027 academic year. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury presided over the meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the committee gave approval to a proposal from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education for printing, binding, and supplying textbooks for students of Classes I to V under 106 lots out of 110 tenders. Under the proposal, 7.35 crore copies of textbooks will be printed through 63 selected institutions at a cost of Tk 404.02 crore.

The committee also approved a proposal from the Secondary and Higher Education Division for printing, binding, and supplying free textbooks for the Ebtedayee level (Classes I to V). The proposal involves printing 3.18 crore copies of textbooks through 35 institutions under 35 tenders at a cost of Tk 153.91 crore.

Besides, the committee recommended approval of separate proposals for printing textbooks for Class VI and Class VII students under the secondary, Dakhil, and technical education streams. The Class VI textbook printing proposal covers Bangla and English versions of secondary-level books, Dakhil, and technical education books. Under the proposal, 4.11 crore copies of textbooks will be printed through 63 institutions under 70 tenders at a cost of Tk 183.58 crore.

For Class VII, the committee recommended approval of a proposal involving the printing, binding, and supply of 3.84 crore copies of textbooks through 59 institutions under 69 tenders. The cost of the Class VII textbook printing proposal is Tk 206.59 crore. The CCGP approved the proposals following recommendations from the relevant authorities to ensure timely supply of free textbooks among students ahead of the 2027 academic year.