Back to School

About Back to School

In Bangladesh the academic year for schools follows the calendar year. Final exams end in late November or early December, results and admissions fill December, and new classes begin in the first days of January. For millions of families, the turn of the year means a new class, sometimes a new school, and a fresh list of things to buy.

Since 2010 the government has given free textbooks to pupils from primary school up to class ten, printed and supplied through the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). The handover at the start of the year became known as the Boi Utsab, the textbook festival, and the smell of new books on the first day of school is a shared childhood memory for a whole generation. In some years printing has run late and not every class has received a full set on the first day, so it is worth checking with your school rather than assuming every book will arrive on 1 January.

This is not a public holiday but a season. It has no single date: think of it as the first two weeks of January, with most of the shopping done in December.

How it is celebrated

Schools mark the first day with a small ceremony to hand out the new books, and pupils carry them home to be covered in brown paper or bright plastic covers and labelled with their name, class and roll number. The first week is often relaxed, with timetables and seating settled before full lessons begin. Parents visit tailors for uniforms in each school's own colours and badge, check whether last year's shoes still fit, and work through the stationery list that many schools hand out.

For children starting school for the first time, the season brings their first bag, first water bottle and first tiffin box, and the first-day photo at the school gate is a small family ritual. Older students moving to a new school, or into class nine where they choose a stream, often need a complete new set of uniform and supplies.

What people buy

1. School bags

   A sturdy backpack with padded straps is the single most important buy, because textbooks for the higher classes are heavy. Look for strong zips and a water-resistant base for the monsoon.

2. Uniforms

   Most schools set their own colours and badge, so parents buy fabric or ready-made shirts, trousers, frocks or salwar kameez and have them fitted. Children often need a bigger size each January.

3. Shoes and socks

   Black school shoes or white canvas shoes, depending on the school's rules, plus several pairs of socks.

4. Notebooks and stationery

   Ruled and plain notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and a geometry box for the older classes are on almost every school list.

5. Book covers and labels

   Covers keep the free textbooks clean through the year, and name labels stop them getting mixed up in class.

6. Tiffin box and water bottle

   A leak-proof lunch box and a bottle that fits the side pocket of the bag are everyday essentials.

7. Winter wear

   January mornings are cold, so school sweaters, jackets or cardigans in the school colour are often needed for the first two months.

Gift ideas

1. A new school bag

   A well-made bag is the gift a child will use every single day of the year.

2. A stationery set

   Colour pencils, a pencil box, a geometry set and a few good notebooks make a practical, cheerful bundle.

3. Story books

   A few Bangla or English story books encourage reading for pleasure alongside the textbooks.

4. Tiffin box and bottle set

   A matching lunch box and bottle with a favourite colour or character is a small gift that feels special to younger children.

Shopping tips

Start shopping in early to mid December. Uniform tailors get heavily booked in the last two weeks of the year, popular bag designs and shoe sizes run out, and couriers are already busy with winter, wedding and year-end orders. Wait for your school's official list before buying specific notebooks or uniform colours, and measure your child rather than guessing last year's size.

On Midmart each shop delivers separately and charges its own delivery fee, so a bag from one shop, shoes from another and stationery from a third means three parcels and three delivery charges. Many stationery and school-supply shops sell bags, bottles and notebooks together, which can save you charges. Midmart never handles payment or delivery: each seller arranges both their own way, so confirm payment, delivery time and exchange terms for sizes with the seller before you buy.

Shop for Back to School

• school bag
• school uniform
• school shoes
• notebook
• geometry box
• lunch box
• water bottle
• stationery

Back to School dates

Dates marked “expected” depend on the moon sighting or the official calendar and are confirmed close to the day.

Questions about Back to School

Festival calendar

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• Pitha Utsab 15 December 2026
• Victory Day 16 December 2026
• Christmas 25 December 2026