Edited_RB_SH Guiding wrong Iqbal Mahmud explores the popular demand for reference books that mars the

development of students amid laws prohibiting its distribution On January 14, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) officials in joint drives seized approximately 1.50 lakh copies of illegal study guides and printed pages of such guides at Old Dhaka. CID and NCTB officials, in two teams, seized the guides branded Lecture Book Publication and Newton Publication, from two presses at Sutrapur and Gendaria. The latest drive to seize illegal note was one of the rare drives against illegal guidebooks. In the 80s, publishers began producing guidebooks and notebooks containing answers of questions students could expect in their examinations of class II up to higher secondary schools. While students found these books extremely handy to secure better grades, it exposed the students to memorising the contents of the books than understanding them. As the books created an adverse impact on students personal development and creativity, the government passed a law on April 9, 1980, banning study guides. The Note Book (Prohibition) Act, 1980 directs that such study guides for the students of class-II to class-VIII cannot be printed or marketed. The law reads that anyone violating it will be imprisoned for up to seven years, or will be fined with Tk 25,000 or both penalties. Traders however, continue producing and selling illegal guidebooks in the market because of a lack of monitoring by the authorities. Like the previous years, a faction of dishonest traders printed the note and guidebooks aiming to capture the market, especially in rural areas. *** Each year, the debate around guide and note books continues without finding a solution. NCTB and law enforcers go for rare drives but cannot stop producers and traders from selling the guide books. Publishers claim that the guidebooks are prepared to help students prepare for their examinations. They say that the books they print with answers are auxiliaries to the curriculum books offered by the NCTB. They call them, practice books.

Despite ban on the publication of such books, production, distribution, and sale of these books continue unabatedly. The NCTB this year has changed the patterns of the questions so that students answer them using their creative skills. Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association, which is alleged for trading guidebooks, had filed a writ petition with the High Court, challenging the legality of the ban on their distribution. In February 2008, Md Abu Taher, the former president of the organisation, filed the petition challenging the legality of the prohibition law. On March 13, the same year, a High Court bench gave a verdict that not only notebooks but books synonymous to its type would be banned too. Later, guidebook publishers filed a writ with the Supreme Court, against the High Courts verdict. But the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court dismissed the petition and directed the government to take action against the illegal sale of guidebooks and notebooks. On December 10, 2009, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division, leaded by the then chief justice MM Ruhul Amin, had directed the government to take action, in case of any violation of the apex court's ban. *** A visit to Dhaka citys Nilkhet and Bangla Bazar book markets this past week reveals that illegal guide and note books are widely available. In absence of legal action against the offenders, guide book business has become one of the most profitable businesses. Proprietor of a book house at Nilkhet tells Xtra that guidebooks are one of the highest selling books in the stores. People do not abide by the law. They rather think that guidebooks will help their children get good marks in the examination, he says. Xtra finds the scenario at Bangla Bazar even worse. Hundreds of book stores are selling guidebooks openly. Salesmen of different book shops inform Xtra that guidebooks are the main business of Bangla Bazar. Guidebooks sell in the market under titles such as Eker Bhitore Shob (all in one) published by Lecture Book Publication, Newton Publication, Kajol Brothers, Djkdorson, Panjeri Publication, Popi Library,. Guardians and teachers are the main customers of these books, says Mizanur Rahman, salesmen of Boi Jogot at Nilkhet. Students at primary level do not understand about the necessity of guidebooks; rather guardians and teachers select the books for them, he adds.

*** Since printing and trading of guide and note books are prohibited under the law, a faction of the publishers and traders are using new techniques. While previously they titled the answer books as Guidebooks and Notebooks, to avoid the legal barriers they have renamed the books as Eker Bhitore Shob or All in one. In the past, publishers sold separate note and guide books for separate subjects. Now for every class books contain all subjects in one. Mirza Ali Ashraf, owner of Kajol Brothers (Anupom Eker Bhitore Shob), rejects the books reference as guidebook. He prefers to term it as Practice books. We do not publish guidebooks anymore. Eker Bhitore Shob is not a guidebook. Rather it is prepared to assist students in understanding the creative text books, states Ashraf. Echoing Ashraf, Sharifudding Biswas, general manager of Popi Library, says that they are not publishing guidebooks. This book is planned to help students. Moreover, there are huge demands for these books. Even guardians of students are buying these books for their children. So why would we stop? asks Biswas. According to sources in the publishing industry, illegal notebooks and guidebooks sell worth Tk 1,000 crore every year. Influential people at the biggest book market in the country, Bangla Bazar, control the business of notebooks. They allegedly pay the police bribes to avoid raids in their business. Alamgir Sikder, president of Bangladesh Publishers and Books Sellers Association, says the business is not illegal. The act states that note and guidebooks are banned, but we publish practice books, and I believe it is not illegal, tells Sikder. He, even, terms these books as substitute of teachers. Sikder says that about 12 to 14 organisations are involved in the trade of practice books. We have distribution channels throughout the country. More or less 25,000 families are dependent on this business. How could we stop this suddenly, he asks. Sikder, moreover, asks, if this is illegal and harmful for students, why do guardians and teachers buy this for their children? *** Bangla Bazar is the heart of production and distribution of these reference books. In order to avoid police raids, businessmen allegedly pay the police hefty sums.

The business is worth more than a thousand crore takas. So, the traders manage police with good amount of money, says a member of Bangladesh Publishers and Books Sellers Association. Braza Gopal Bhowmick, secretary of NCTB says, We have been requesting the home ministry to take actions for long. He regrets that no steps have been taken to stop the production of the illegal reference books while also alleging that the Sutrapur police and the traders at Bangla Bazar run the business in connivance. Rafiqual Islam, officer-in-charg of Sutrapur police station, however, denies the allegation saying, we have been taking legal action and seizing the illegal materials, There is no chance of nexus. The NCTB through the education ministry exchanged letters with the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, and home ministry requesting them seize the illegal reference books and take legal actions against the trades. It seems no one pays a heed, says Bhowmick. *** Education experts observe that guidebooks have serious adverse impact on students. Most of the guidebooks are written by university and college level students. The publishers do not have proper editing and proof reading panel. Thus, most of the books contain errors, tells Dr Abul Ehsan, director of Institute of Education and Research (IER) at the University of Dhaka. NCTB Chairman Prof Mostofa Kamal Uddin tells that they received many complaints and hope that the law enforcers will continue their drives against such illegal books. Since reference books have a huge market, instead of banning them, the government should devise a mechanism to improvise the contents and legalize it, says Osman Goni, former executive director of Bangladesh Gyan and Srijanshil Prakashak Samity (Bangladesh Creative Publishers' Association). It can then distribute the books under the supervision of NCTB and earn substantial revenue. Dr Ehsan however, opposes the idea. The habit of relaying on study guides detaches students from text books from their childhood; therefore, they become memorising machines. Creative and analytical approaches no longer remain in their mind.