School and Madrasah Business Studies Students to Use Same Textbooks from 2027

School and madrasah students enrolling in the Business Studies group of Class IX will read identical textbooks in the upcoming academic year. This has been confirmed by Professor Muhammad Fatihul Qadir, Member (Curriculum) of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).

Speaking to The Daily Campus, he stated, "No separate textbooks are being printed for Business Studies in madrasahs. Just like the 2026 academic session, students entering Class IX in the 2027 academic year will read the same textbooks. No directives have been received to formulate separate textbooks for them."

It is learned that the Madrasah Education Board introduced the Business Studies group in Class IX beginning with the 2026 academic session. Earlier, on August 13, 2025, the Ministry of Education decided to launch the Business Studies group at the Dakhil and Alim levels of madrasahs. Consequently, during a ministry meeting in April this year, 45 madrasahs were granted formal approval to teach Business Studies.

The Madrasah Board has already drafted a curriculum for Business Studies and submitted it to the NCTB. The draft will subsequently be forwarded to the National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC) of the Ministry of Education for final approval. Since the approval process is still ongoing, madrasah students will not receive standalone textbooks anytime soon. For the 2027 academic session, the existing school textbooks are being refined for all Class IX Business Studies students across both schools and madrasahs.

According to related sources, new topics including Islamic economics and banking will eventually be incorporated into the Business Studies textbooks designated for madrasahs.

When the decision to launch the Business Studies group in madrasahs was made for the 2025 academic session, the ministry issued several directives to the relevant departments. These directives included—formulating a full syllabus and curriculum for the Business Studies group at Dakhil and Alim levels; selecting and preparing subject-specific textbooks in accordance with the syllabus; initiating the department in initially selected madrasahs for the upcoming academic year; providing necessary training to the teachers concerned; and initiating student admission alongside recruiting adequate teachers through the NTRCA based on requirement.

Furthermore, a letter from the Madrasah Board specified that institutions must have at least 100 students in Class VIII, two additional classrooms, and the financial capability to pay the salaries of Business Studies teachers until recruitment is finalized by the NTRCA.

Following this announcement, several madrasahs across the country, including Ta'mirul Millat Kamil Madrasah in the capital, launched the Business Studies group in Class IX from the 2026 academic session. The Technical and Madrasah Education Division of the ministry also recently issued a Government Order (GO) permitting 45 madrasahs, including these institutions, to teach Business Studies.

The heads of these institutions informed the Madrasah Board about the necessity of printing separate textbooks featuring distinct elements for madrasah students. They demanded the formulation of Business Studies textbooks aligned with Islamic perspectives.

"I see no problem if Business Studies students read school textbooks, just as science stream students of both schools and madrasahs read identical textbooks." — Professor Muhammad Fatihul Qadir, Member (Curriculum), NCTB

Nazmul Haque Akand, Lecturer (Islamic Studies) at Dhaka Alia Madrasah, told The Daily Campus, "Formulating separate Business Studies textbooks for madrasah students is the need of the hour. This is because the goals and characteristics of madrasah education differ from general education. Business Studies textbooks in madrasahs should be presented in such a way that topics like Islamic economics, Shariah-compliant business, interest-free banking, Zakat, Waqf, trustworthiness, and business ethics are properly integrated alongside modern commercial knowledge."

Dr. Khalilur Rahman Madani, Principal of Ta'mirul Millat Kamil Madrasah, told The Daily Campus, "We began enrolling students from the 2026 academic session itself. There are currently 105 students in the Class IX Business Studies stream. Business Studies teachers were recruited at the beginning of the year to teach the students. The department concerned has been informed of the need to formulate separate textbooks for madrasah Business Studies. Distinct textbooks are necessary for the students, and we hope the government will take steps soon."

Md. Akram Hossain, Deputy Madrasah Inspector-1 of the Madrasah Education Board, told The Daily Campus, "Teaching permission has been granted to 45 madrasahs via GO." He added that since registration for Class IX in 2026 has not yet concluded, the exact number of students remains unknown. He was also unable to specify exactly how many institutions have actively started the Business Studies department in Class IX.

Professor Khondokar Mohammad Sadequr Rahman, Chairman of the Madrasah Education Board, told The Daily Campus, "I see no problem if Business Studies students read school textbooks, just as science stream students of both schools and madrasahs read identical textbooks. Business Studies was introduced in Class IX of madrasahs without finalizng the curriculum; it was necessary to determine the curriculum first. However, the ministry is working on this matter."