Miscreants also attacked and vandalized libraries in Rajshahi

Bangladesh

Rajshahi representative

2024-08-23

Miscreants vandalized 'Belgachi Library and Pathak Club' of Rajshahi's Mohanpur Upazila. The miscreants have vandalized the library and burnt most of the books. The attack was carried out on August 5.

On Monday (August 19) afternoon in Belgachi village, it was seen that on one side of the library building there were burning waste of chairs and on the other side the ashes of burning books. No windows have glass. Pieces of broken glass lay on the ground.

Before this, on February 21, 2014, the activities of the 'Belgachi Library and Pathak Club' of Rajshahi's Mohanpur Upazila started with the slogan 'Educate yourself with good education and devote yourself to the welfare of the country and the nation'. The library became an ideal place for the village people. People from various professions of the village used to come here every day to read books and newspapers.

This library was built by Abul Basar, a student of the village, 17 km north of Rajshahi city and 8 km south of Mohanpur upazila Sadar and in Nivrit village of Mougachi union in Mohanpur upazila. He was then a first year student of English Literature in Rajshahi College. This library was inaugurated on 21 February 2014. At present the total number of members of the library is 133. Readers do not have to pay any fee except to become a member by filling a form of 10 rupees.

Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Two daily newspapers including Prothom Alo are kept. The institution is registered with the Department of Social Services and Public Libraries. There were 3 thousand 100 books. There were eight cupboards, a round table, a computer, two fans. All have been vandalized. Most of the books in the library were burnt.

Farmer Abdus Salam (60) donated land for this library. He is the president of this organization. He said, 'My house was also attacked, but I suffered more in the attack on the library.'

Shyamli Begum, the assistant secretary of the library, came and said that after the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, the people of the nearby villages broke the lock and entered the library with a victory procession.

Farmer Ashikuzzaman (45), a member of the library, said that from 10 am to 10 pm, whenever he has time, he comes to the library and reads books and newspapers. It became an ideal place in the village. They still don't understand why the library was attacked.

Abul Basar, the founder of the library, does not know the reason for the attack. However, he told the matter to the upazila executive officer.

In this regard, Mohanpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Aisha Siddika said that the attack on the library is very sad.

Bangladesh /KH