Bangladesh’s National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is racing to complete printing nearly 300 million textbooks for the 2025 academic year, but delays in tender processes have raised concerns about timely distribution. While all 90 million primary-level books have been printed and dispatched, printing for most secondary-level books has only recently begun, leaving publishers doubtful that all students will receive their books by January. Printing industry representatives blame the delay on NCTB’s cancellation of earlier tenders for grades six to eight, which compressed the production timeline to just 50 days. Analysts warn that if students do not receive books at the start of the school year, learning outcomes could suffer. NCTB officials, however, remain optimistic that distribution will be completed on time. Economic adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed downplayed fears of major disruption, saying all pending approvals have been finalized and only minor delays may occur. With national elections and religious holidays approaching, education experts urge swift government action to avoid setbacks in the learning process.