Dhaka, Nov. 8 -- Once again, the printing of next year's textbooks has begun at the very end of the year.

While officials have expressed optimism that primary-level books will reach students on time, uncertainty looms over whether secondary-level students will receive their books at the start of the academic year.

Last year, delays caused by a return to the old curriculum following a political upheaval and related procedural adjustments meant that textbook printing began only in December, and students had to wait until March to receive them.

Learning from that experience, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the body responsible for overseeing printing, had planned to begin secondary textbook printing by September this ye...