Media report said the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has turned a popular public library in the city into a dumping ground for wrecked vehicles. The Pir Habibur Rahman Library at Topkhana in Sylhet city was run by the city corporation till 2009. Readers used to throng the library every day. But, this library has been closed for the last nine years as the city corporation office was temporarily shifted to the library in 2012. Its premises are now being used as a dumping ground while the library building is used as temporary accommodation for the staff of the city corporation.
Eminent educationists have rightly voiced displeasure over the situation, saying the library was contributing to the intellectual development and reading habits of city dwellers. Due to its closure young generation is losing their reading habits. We must say it is shocking that wrecked vehicles are placed carelessly in front of the library which was once a popular destination for readers. We joined with the city dwellers demanding the reopening of the library as soon as possible. It was set up in the name of a veteran politician Pir Habibur Rahman who was convener of Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad of Sylhet in 1952. After his death in 2004, the Sylhet Municipal Library was renamed after his memory.
As we see in 2012, the old building of the SCC was demolished to make way for a multi-storied building. The SCC’s office was then temporarily shifted to the library building. At that time, thousands of books from the library were taken to the Sarada Memorial Hall, another traditional building nearby. All the books are now ruined as a result of being left in piles for a long time. After the inauguration of the new SCC building in January 2018, the Corporation office was permanently shifted there.
But, even after three and a half years, the library which worked as a bridge with the past and the language movement has not been reopened. All the books of the library are out of reach of the readers as those are still piled up inside the Sarada Hall. We are shocked by the mindless neglect of the library by the city Mayor and demand that it be re-established properly.
Eminent educationists have rightly voiced displeasure over the situation, saying the library was contributing to the intellectual development and reading habits of city dwellers. Due to its closure young generation is losing their reading habits. We must say it is shocking that wrecked vehicles are placed carelessly in front of the library which was once a popular destination for readers. We joined with the city dwellers demanding the reopening of the library as soon as possible. It was set up in the name of a veteran politician Pir Habibur Rahman who was convener of Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad of Sylhet in 1952. After his death in 2004, the Sylhet Municipal Library was renamed after his memory.
As we see in 2012, the old building of the SCC was demolished to make way for a multi-storied building. The SCC’s office was then temporarily shifted to the library building. At that time, thousands of books from the library were taken to the Sarada Memorial Hall, another traditional building nearby. All the books are now ruined as a result of being left in piles for a long time. After the inauguration of the new SCC building in January 2018, the Corporation office was permanently shifted there.
But, even after three and a half years, the library which worked as a bridge with the past and the language movement has not been reopened. All the books of the library are out of reach of the readers as those are still piled up inside the Sarada Hall. We are shocked by the mindless neglect of the library by the city Mayor and demand that it be re-established properly.
