Booksellers in 8 N dists observe strike

Allege realisation of extra charges on textbooks by publishers

28 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

Bangladesh Booksellers and Publishers Association brings out a procession in Panchagarh town yesterday protesting creation of artificial crisis of textbooks by a syndicate.Photo: STAR

Booksellers in eight northern districts yesterday observed strike protesting realisation of additional charges on textbooks by the publishers. During the day-long strike in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Takurgaon and Dinajpur districts, bookstall owners kept their shops closed. They alleged that the publishers charge additional money when they go to them to procure textbooks and force them to take notebooks along with the textbooks. Acute crisis of textbooks prevailing in the region since beginning of the new academic session is hampering study of the students from class six to nine. In Panchagarh, booksellers also closed their shops protesting 'artificial' crisis of textbooks in the current academic session, reports Thakurgaon correspondent. They brought out a procession in Panchagarh town and submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner to take initiative to supply textbooks of different classes at the secondary level. Abul Kalam Azad, president of Panchagarh unit of Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association, said booksellers are to buy textbooks from publishers at higher rates, although the district administration asked them not to sell books at higher rates. “In this situation, we are unable to sell books,” he said. Azad also said publishers have failed to supply adequate number of books to the students in time. He alleged that a section of publishers have created the 'artificial' crisis of textbooks through syndication to make windfall profit.