Leaders of Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association (BBPSA) blamed the crisis on what they said was an unrealistic decision by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) that granted 92 percent of the print job to only 43 of the 370 publishing houses.

Although the NCTB claims the job will be finished before the next academic year starts, publishers feel able to print a small number of books by that time, sources close to the industry said.

"It is not possible for 43 publishers to print 1.6 crore secondary textbooks before the next academic year starts," one of the sources said, asking not to be named.

The bickering surfaced when the NCTB offered the work involving Tk 47.27 crore, but a section of printers submitted letters of intent ranging between Tk 50 crore and Tk 500 crore, which BBPSA President Abu Taher pegged as violation of the NCTB rules.

Taher at a recent press conference accused the NCTB of awarding the job to a favoured group.

The High Court has issued a rule on the NCTB chairman and other officials to explain why they would not be directed to stop issuing any order for print and marketing of books for VI to X classes for exceeding the estimated value of books.

The rule came after the BBPSA vice-president, Shah Alam, filed a writ with the court.

Publishers and sellers sought intervention of the prime minister to ensure even-handed work distribution and demanded cancellation of the order that allowed the remaining 327 publishing houses only 8 percent of the job.

"It is a flagrant violation of government rules," Alam said.

Rabbani Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Mudran Shilpa Samity, refuting the BBPSA statement, said books would be available in the market in time, as there was no difference in awarding the job this year.

Last year, 29 printers got the job worth Tk 21 crore and 220 printers Tk 18 crore in a reminder of 2004 when 47 printers got the work involving Tk 34 crore and 300 printers Tk 14 crore, he pointed out.

"The NCTB has followed the same way and the capacity of printers was the main criteria," Jabbar added.

The BBPSA leaders urged the NCTB to receive new letters of offer along with bid security from publishing houses to remove 'anomalies' in publication of the textbooks.

"We requested the NCTB chairman to ask publishing houses to pay 1 percent in bid security when they submit letters of offer again. It will check malpractice in bidding," an association leader said.

The BBPSA leaders also demanded that the NCTB hands out the publishing work to all listed publishers so that textbooks could reach the students in time.

Earlier, the BBPSA submitted a memorandum to the prime minister, education minister and NCTB chairman, seeking intervention.

The BBPSA is scheduled to stage a token hunger strike in front of the NCTB building today in protest against the NCTB decision.

The association members will hold a rally at Bangla Bazar on December 11 and hand over a memorandum to the president, seeking intervention.