Bangladesh’s government has secured commitments from domestic paper manufacturers to supply the paper required for printing next year’s school textbooks, aiming to avoid the shortages and price increases that disrupted previous production cycles.

Following a meeting with leading paper mill owners, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon said manufacturers had agreed to provide the necessary volumes of paper on time and at stable prices to support the country’s nationwide textbook distribution program.

Paper Mills Commit to Stable Supply

Speaking after the meeting at the Secretariat in Dhaka, the minister said paper producers pledged not to create any artificial supply shortages and would deliver paper within the required production schedule.

The government organized the meeting after concerns that previous textbook printing campaigns had been affected by limited paper availability and rising prices toward the end of the year.

According to Dr. Milon, ensuring timely access to quality paper is essential to delivering textbooks to students before the start of the new academic year.

“Our objective is to print textbooks using quality paper produced locally and ensure students receive them on schedule,” he said.

NCTB Requires 80,000 Tonnes of Paper

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) plans to print approximately 310 million textbooks for the next academic year.

To meet this target, the program is expected to require around 80,000 metric tonnes of paper.

Government officials said domestic paper mills have sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet the demand.

According to the minister, paper producers committed to supplying at least 55,000 metric tonnes of quality paper per month, allowing the required volume to be delivered over the next two months.

Government to Sign Agreements with Printers

Following the commitments from paper manufacturers, the government plans to hold a separate meeting with printing companies.

Dr. Milon said legally binding agreements will be signed with participating parties to ensure all suppliers and printers fulfill their contractual obligations and maintain the production schedule.

The initiative is intended to reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions during one of the country’s largest annual printing projects.

Domestic Producers Support National Education Program

Representatives from several major Bangladeshi paper manufacturers attended the meeting, including:

• Bashundhara Paper Mills Limited
• Meghna Paper Mills Limited
• TK Chemical Complex Limited
• Base Papers Limited
• Swiss Quality Paper
• Creative Paper Mills
• Ethical Pulp and Paper Mills
• Partex Paper Mills

Company representatives assured the government of their full cooperation in maintaining an uninterrupted supply of quality paper for textbook production.

Senior officials from the Education Ministry and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board also participated in the discussions.

The government’s latest initiative reflects Bangladesh’s continued emphasis on utilizing domestic paper manufacturing capacity while ensuring that millions of students receive textbooks before the beginning of the new school year.

Last Updated on 07/07/2026 by Jota Machinery