The illegally published textbooks are available in majority of bookstores and that too at a discounted rate. The price is lower than NCTB authorised publications. However there is marked difference in quality.

The illegal textbooks come in newsprint while the legitimate ones are printed on white paper with a security page to check authenticity.

Book markets like Banglabazar and Nilkhet sell textbooks of both quality and funnily enough, the name of the publisher is found to be the same on both types of books.

NTCB contracted publishers allege that a section among them along with other unscrupulous publishers are behind the crime. The legal publishers said that they have reported the matter to the NCTB authorities but the Board has surprisingly offered contracts to people who have been involved in illegal publications in the past.

Because of illegal publications, the NCTB is losing royalty and the government is deprived of revenue. Besides, the trend is also hurting the legitimate business of NCTB appointed publishers.

The NCTB had estimated the demand for secondary school textbooks at about 1.6 crore copies. But the actual requirement was more than that which prompted the Board to make preparations to publish another 40 lakh copies. It also kept an inventory of paper for another 50 lakh copies in an emergency.

But the illegal publication has already filled the extra demand and some publishers claim that almost 40 per cent legally published textbooks among the 1.6 crore copies have remained unsold.

Bangladesh Publication Industries Association submitted a written complaint to the education ministry and the NCTB in a bid to resist the practice.

Sources said that the ministry has instructed police to take action against piracy. The NCTB also have reportedly decided to form an investigation committee to control illegal publications.

The acting chairman of NCTB was not available for comment on the progress of the committee despite repeated attempts to contact her.