Millions of schoolchildren across the country have started the New Year with brand new textbooks, but Catholic teachers are complaining they have yet to receive books on religion.

The education ministry in an initiative called the ‘Textbook Distribution Festival’ supplied millions of new to primary and secondary level students in January.

However, teachers in Church-run schools have been left wondering where the books they ordered from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) are.

“We have not received a single Christian book yet. Last year we didn’t get the books we asked for,” said Hilarius Rozario, 60, headmaster of St Joseph’s primary school in the northern district of Natore.

“We are about to resume classes, and I don’t how we can without the books we need,” he added.

He said there are irregularities every year and nothing is being done to address the problem.

“If we ask for 50 books, we only get five. We have talked to officials again and again but to no avail.”

Father Martin Mondol, 46, headmaster of St Paul’s high school in the south west coastal city of Mongla told the same story.

“We never get Christian books on time. This year we’ve got all the other books we need, but not on Christianity,” said the priest.

“We want the government to look at the problem and solve it,” he added.

The NCTB said they were unaware of any problems regarding book distribution.

“We send books to every district according to list submitted from the schools. We have received There is no complaints so far. However, if there are problems we will take proper measures,” said Mehbuba Khanam, an NCTB spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the education ministry has formed a five-member committee to investigate alleged anomalies in book distribution reported by local media.

The Catholic Church in Bangladesh runs 288 schools and colleges with 55 schools and four colleges in Dhaka archdiocese alone.

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