Pirojpur Correspondent: The administration has seized a truck with new books, old textbooks and notebooks of the 2025 academic year of government primary and secondary schools in Mathbaria, Pirojpur.
The truck full of books was seized from in front of Arafat Manzil in the North Mithakali area of ​​the municipal city at around 1 pm on Friday (June 26).
According to the operation and local sources, the government books were being loaded into a truck of Bogra Transport under the supervision of Messrs. Hannan Enterprises of the North Mithakali area. At that time, the locals informed the administration about the matter. Upon receiving the news, Mathbaria Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Sudipto Debnath went to the spot and seized the truck with the government books.
At that time, the manager of the organization, Mohammad Ullah, said that a hawker named Zakaria Hawlader sold these books and notebooks to Messrs. Hannan Enterprise, a scrap business on Tushkhali Road in Mathbaria. The organization buys and sells old batteries, iron, paper and plastic in the area. In addition, I have been buying from different hawkers in quantities ranging from 2 kg to 5/10 kg for one and a half years.
The hawker Zakaria said that about a week ago, he bought a total of 587 kg of government books and notebooks, including new books for the 2025 academic year, from Akhtar Hossain, the acting headmaster of Mathbaria Government Hatem Ali Girls’ School, for several thousand taka. The accused hawker Zakaria is the son of Thanda Mia Hawlader of Uttar Hiron village in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj.
Several attempts were made to contact Akhtar Hossain, the acting headmaster of Government Hatem Ali Secondary Girls’ School, on his mobile phone to get his statement on this matter, but he did not receive the call. However, during the initial interrogation by the administration, he claimed that he had sold some old books along with two teachers for only Tk 32,000.
Meanwhile, when asked about the incident, Upazila Education Officer Md. Jahangir Hossain avoided reporters and said, “I don’t know anything about this. I have work to do, I can’t say anything now.”
After the operation, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Sudipto Debnath said that the truck with the books has been seized and kept in police custody. Since the matter is not under the purview of the mobile court, an investigation report in this regard will be submitted to the Upazila Old Book Sale Committee President and Upazila Executive Officer during office hours next Sunday. He will take further legal action.
In this context, Mathbaria Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Aklima Akhter said, “Books are given to schools according to demand, so there should be no excess books. And if there are excess books, then if there are excess books, they will have to be sold through auction after informing the Upazila Committee.” The headmaster did not tell me anything about the sale of books. Strict legal action will be taken after receiving the report of the Assistant Commissioner (Land).
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