National Curriculum and Textbook Board
Profile
- Head
- Md Mahbubul Hoque Patwary
- Role
- Chairman
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- 398
- Established
- 1983
- Legal basis
- National Curriculum and Textbook Board Act, 2018 (repealing the National Curriculum and Text-Book Board Ordinance, 1983, Ordinance No. LII of 1983); originally established 2 October 1983 by merging the Bangladesh School Textbook Board with the National Curriculum Development Centre.
Executing the most extensive curriculum overhaul since 2022: restoring science/commerce/humanities streams for grades 9-10, incorporating the July 2024 uprising history into classes 5-10 textbooks, and finalising a new curriculum framework for 2027 implementation covering 601 titles across all levels.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-17 reform BNP government took office; NCTB began implementing a new textbook revision mandate focused on correcting historical distortions and incorporating the July-August 2024 mass uprising, reversing several Awami League-era 2022 curriculum changes. ↗↗
- 2026-03-15 reform NCTB released syllabuses for 32 subjects under the restored science, commerce, and humanities stream divisions for classes 9-10, replacing the integrated unified-stream model introduced under the 2022 curriculum; students entering Grade 10 in 2025 follow the revised syllabus. ↗↗
- 2026-04-10 reform NCTB confirmed the full 2026 secondary curriculum revision: streams (science, commerce, humanities) formally restored for grades 9-10; revised SSC syllabus, question format, and mark distribution published; new textbooks to incorporate July 2024 uprising history across classes 5-10. ↗↗↗
- 2026-04-30 circular NCTB convened a four-day residential workshop (May 4-7, Rural Development Academy, Bogra) with approximately 320 university experts and experienced teachers to develop revised secondary textbook content for the 2027 academic year, covering 97 secondary-level books and 36 primary-level books. ↗↗
- 2026-05-15 statement Chairman Md Mahbubul Hoque Patwary confirmed in a BSS interview that all 601 textbooks across pre-primary through Grade 9 will be revised for 2027 implementation; stated that July-August 2024 mass uprising history will be included across classes 5-10, and revision of historical content correcting 'distortions' is underway with completion target of July 2026. ↗↗
Provenance & notes
NCTB is an autonomous statutory body under the Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED), Ministry of Education. The current chairman Md Mahbubul Hoque Patwary holds the position on additional charge as of May 2026 (confirmed by BSS interview, 15 May 2026); exact appointment date not traceable to a published SHED notification. His predecessor Prof AKM Reazul Hassan was appointed on 31 August 2024 under the interim government. The NCTB Act 2018 replaced the 1983 Ordinance as governing legislation. No standalone NCTB budget line is published separately in public budget documents; NCTB expenditure runs through SHED's Grant No. 22/125 (Tk 47,563 crore FY2025-26). Staff count of 398 is from Banglapedia (pre-2020 figure); Wikipedia cites 91, which likely reflects only permanent gazetted officers. The 2026 stream restoration (science/commerce/humanities in grades 9-10) reverses the unified-stream policy introduced under the Awami League-era 2022 National Curriculum Framework. July 2024 uprising content added across 8 segments in classes 5-10 books; March 7 speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman removed from class 8 Bengali textbook and replaced with 'Gana Obbhuthyan' chapter.
Sources
- https://nctb.gov.bd/
- https://nctb.gov.bd/pages/static-pages/6922dff5933eb65569e24d31
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Curriculum_and_Textbook_Board
- https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/National_Curriculum_and_Textbook_Board
- https://www.bssnews.net/interview/387236
- https://www.bssnews.net/interview/343152
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/education/251141/national-curriculum-to-see-more-change
- https://tob.news/nctb-finalising-framework-of-new-curriculum-up-to-secondary-level/
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/410282/nctb-chairman-textbooks-being-revised-to
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/400432/over-90%25-secondary-textbooks-printed-nationwide
- https://rtvonline.com/english/bangladesh/16303
- https://bangladeshpost.net/posts/riazul-hasan-appointed-as-new-nctb-chairman-144547
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/Education/244043/osd-professor-reazul-hassan-made-new-nctb-chairman
- https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/education/news/all-primary-students-receive-textbooks-first-day-new-year-adviser-4070626
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/education/procurement-delay-threatens-timely-distribution-class-6-8-textbooks-2026