Youths spend nearly Tk 2,000 crore yearly on job-preparation books
Every year, hundreds of thousands of graduates and post-graduates enter Bangladesh’s job market, but vacancies remain painfully scarce. As a result, lakhs of youths face cut-throat competition for a handful of posts in government, autonomous, banking and other public-sector jobs. To survive this battle, they pour money into “job solution” books, guides, model tests and question banks.
The result? A massive Tk 1,500–2,000 crore annual market for competitive-exam preparation materials — a booming industry that profits handsomely while unemployment keeps rising.
How big is the spending?
- Average non-BCS candidate: Tk 2,000–5,000 on books per recruitment cycle
- BCS aspirants (prelim to viva): Tk 12,000–15,000 each
- 45th BCS prelim saw ~3.5 lakh applicants; 46th BCS over 3.37 lakh → even at a conservative Tk 7–8 thousand per candidate for prelim alone, Tk 250–300 crore in books sold for just two exams
- 18th Teachers’ Registration Exam (18.65 lakh applicants × ~Tk 1,500 each): ~Tk 280 crore
- Bank jobs, primary teacher recruitment, health assistants, police, food dept, ACC, agriculture etc.: combined market over Tk 600 crore
Total estimated annual turnover: Tk 1,500–2,000 crore
Students speak
Sadia Tasnim Tamanna, a job seeker, told The Daily Campus: “We have to buy separate books for Bangla, English, Math, GK, Computer and then sector-specific guides — BCS, bank, primary teacher, NTRCA etc. Easily Tk 1,500–3,000 per recruitment.”
A recommended candidate from the 44th BCS said he spent at least Tk 10–12 thousand just on BCS books, plus several thousand more for other exams.
The business side
Publishers admit sales have surged since the interim government started issuing recruitment circulars. Mohammad Mainul Islam, Head of Digital Marketing at Professors Publication (a market leader), said: “During Covid, business almost collapsed. Shops were shut. But after this government took over, sales jumped nearly 50%.”
Yet the market remains largely unregulated. A few big publishers dominate; many low-quality and outdated books flood the stalls. Coaching centres also print their own quick-fix guides, often lacking depth.
Call for quality and regulation
Dr Shilpi Begum, Chair of Dhaka University’s Printing & Publication Studies Department, stressed: “Publishers must be brought under clear guidelines. This will improve quality and give candidates reliable information. Transparency — such as public disclosure of print runs and content updates — is urgently needed.”
While job aspirants struggle with unemployment and fierce competition, the “job solution” book industry continues to mint hundreds of crores every year — largely on the hopes and wallets of Bangladesh’s educated youth.
