The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday busted shops of three book publishers in the city and seized more than 5000 copies of textbooks which were printed illegally.
During the seven-hour-long raid at Amir Publishers, Western Publishers and Gyanbidya Publishers at Bangla Bazar, the crime busters arrested the manager of Amir Publishers.
Squadron Leader Khalid Shams of Rab-3, who led the operation, said the books are printed on low quality newsprint and are full of mistakes.
He said they conducted the raids following complaints by many people that some publishers are printing and selling textbooks illegally at Bangla Bazar.
Sources said the textbooks are supposed to be published by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) by inviting enlisted members of the association of publishers.
A publisher seeking anonymity told The Daily Star that a crisis of textbooks is prevailing now.
Their association appealed to the NCTB authority on January 17 to take steps to publish 50 lakh more copies of textbooks in no time, he said.
But, the NCTB authority passed some time and later gave an order to publish only 18 lakh copies of books which are expected to come to the market today, he added.