Admission Guidebooks Market Hits Tk 500 Crore as Coaching Centers Dominate

The market for admission guidebooks to public universities, medical colleges, and engineering universities in Bangladesh is expanding rapidly, now valued at approximately Tk 500 crore. As competition intensifies and students prepare more rigorously, demand for these preparation materials has soared. However, several syndicates are siphoning crores from students through various tactics.

A tour of the guidebook market reveals that question banks for medical and engineering universities, based on past years' questions, are priced between Tk 800 and Tk 900 on average. Question banks for science, humanities, and business streams at various government and autonomous universities cost Tk 250 to Tk 300. Additionally, books on English, English vocabulary, Bangla, and general knowledge are sold for Tk 300 to Tk 550, depending on the publisher. Guidebooks for marine, nursing, cluster engineering, cluster agriculture, and cluster science and technology universities range from Tk 450 to Tk 1,000.

Market analysis shows the annual undergraduate admission guidebook market stands at Tk 460–500 crore. Half of these books are sold by coaching centers, which print separate books for their students and include the cost in admission fees. Every year, lakhs of new HSC graduates join the admission race. Sales fluctuate slightly based on exam results. Coaching centers publishing their own admission materials are reaping profits, while traditional guidebook publishers—who have long produced quality content—are in crisis. According to stakeholders, coaching centers now publish and sell their own books, making them mandatory for students, who then avoid buying from the market. This is severely hurting publishers.

Admission aspirant Juhayer Anjum Saki told The Daily Campus, “When we enrolled in coaching, they took the full fee at once. Later, they gave us a set of books. Now they supply topic-based notes. But I’m still buying my preferred university’s question bank separately to prepare.”

It is learned that many individuals running private coaching are also publishing books under their own names. As a result, publishers of guide and note books are facing a sales crisis.

Those in the publishing industry say that while there used to be strong competition in admission guide and note books, coaching centers now control the largest share. This has made survival difficult for small publishers.

Two types of publishers dominate the scene: creative publishers (stories, poetry, novels, essays) and guide/note book publishers. Both are now in trouble. Creative publishers are losing readers for various reasons, while guidebook publishers are losing market share.

Many in publishing believe that to change the situation, fair competition in publishing and distribution must return. Unless coaching centers’ monopoly is curbed, creative publishing will remain under threat, and the entire book industry will suffer.

This year, the HSC and equivalent exam results disaster has impacted every education-related sector, especially the admission preparation book market. Bangladesh’s book market is one of the largest economic sectors tied to education. Sales of admission guidebooks typically surge after HSC results. But this year, sales are negligible compared to previous years. According to the Education Ministry, the average pass rate is only 58.83%—down 18.95% from last year. Only 69,097 students achieved GPA-5, compared to 145,911 last year. Nearly half the examinees failed, and the drop in GPA-5 recipients has raised questions about the quality of education.

Booksellers in Nilkhet, Banglabazar, and across the country report that unlike previous years, when crowds flocked post-results, this year footfall is significantly lower. Many who expected good results are now mentally devastated and show no interest in new courses or admission prep books.

Nilkhet bookseller Monirul Alam said, “This is usually our busiest time for admission prep books. But this year, there’s hardly any crowd. Those who failed aren’t buying. Those who passed with low GPA are unsure what to do.”

The same is true in Banglabazar’s wholesale shops. At Joykoli Publications—a major admission guide publisher—the usual bustle is absent. Customer traffic is low. A sales staff said, “Compared to other years, this time is dead. Orders from across the country are also down.”

Both publishers and sellers are reeling from the results shock. Many publishers who planned new editions have suspended printing. No one knows where demand is headed.

Joykoli Publications manager Kamal said, “The situation is dire. We may have to shut down after this year. It’s not just us—everyone’s struggling. This has been building for years. Students go to coaching, which sells its own books. They don’t buy from the market. Even individual tutors now publish books. Admission guide sales are dropping alarmingly.”

He added, “This year’s HSC results have further hurt the book market. Those who failed won’t enroll, so they won’t buy prep books. GPA-5 achievers are down by over 76,000. Many students will avoid buying books altogether.”

Renowned publishers say their books are information-rich, thus larger and pricier. But coaching or individual books condense key info, use techniques for attractive presentation, and are smaller and cheaper.

Every year, lakhs join the admission race. Over 700,000 passed HSC this year. They’ll buy books from coaching or markets—a multi-hundred-crore market. The Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association (BAPUS) has no exact figures.

BAPUS Vice President Mohammad Golam Elahi Jahid told The Daily Campus, “The academic book market is Tk 3,000–4,000 crore. The association doesn’t track sales—it ensures quality and handles copyright complaints.”

He said, “The academic market is huge. New students come yearly and buy books—from coaching or markets. So this segment grows, but big companies face challenges.”

He agreed the results disaster will hurt: “Those who didn’t do well can’t join top universities or medical colleges. They’ll change preferences. Overall, these book sales will drop.”

Booksellers say the industry has been declining for two years post-uprising. Paper and printing costs have risen, and sales have fallen for months.

The HSC results have also hit admission coaching centers. Enrollments are much lower than previous years. A senior official at a reputed medical coaching center in Farmgate said, “Fewer students are enrolling this year. In past years, they flooded in post-results. This time is different. Many enrolled earlier didn’t get expected results and are demotivated.”

The center now offers a free university admission course for those who didn’t qualify for medical.

Job preparation book sales have also declined. Big publishers blame coaching centers’ own books for the slump.

Literary publisher and writer Mainul Ahsan Sabir of Dibya Prokash said, “Since last July, there’s no book business. Buyers have no money or are busy elsewhere. With so much going on, what do we do? Those who profited from Mujib corners or secret projects are set. The rest of us flicker on. My income is one-fourth of what I need.”

He added, “I can’t go on with this one-fourth. Many have taken jobs—smiling at offices or not. They’re surely more capable. I couldn’t become a ‘Mofiz.’ But this pressure for a year is unbearable. Even Facebook laughter doesn’t help. I’m in trauma. I’ll stay off until it passes, in my own brokenness.”