Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday formally inaugurated the distribution of free textbooks among students up to the secondary level for the academic year 2018.

She handed over textbooks to some students at a ceremony at her official residence Ganabhaban, reports the UNB.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman were present.

A total of 35,42,90,162 textbooks will be distributed among over 4.37 crore pre-primary, primary, secondary, Ebtedayee, Dakhil vocational, SSC vocational, small anthropological groups and visually-challenged students across the country.

Textbooks have also been printed in five languages of the small ethnic groups of the country and will be distributed among the students of the schools concerned.