A library is the vibrant hub of free intellectual exchange, where dreams embrace knowledge. A rich library has the potential to give birth to an enlightened nation. It is hard to believe that there are people in the world who might not understand the necessity of a library.
In the city of Dhaka, people are too occupied with their daily affairs during the day to find adequate opportunities for intellectual discussions. Even during leisure hours, such as public holidays, there is hardly a suitable environment for free knowledge exchange due to the lack of sufficient libraries. Even those that exist lack proper maintenance and supervision. As a result, the pleasure of reading is gradually fading away from people's lives.
Most surprisingly, the largest public library in Bangladesh, the National Library, suffers from a lack of readers. There have been no appropriate initiatives to increase readership. Several reading rooms have been closed on the pretext of electricity conservation. Some of the ACs for readers have been removed, there's inadequate CCTV surveillance, and there are no separate rooms for group study. Furthermore, during the limited office hours from 9 am to 4 pm, very few people actually get the opportunity to engage in the exchange of knowledge at the library, as students and professionals are busy with their educational institutions and workplaces. Additionally, the library remains closed even on government holidays. All these resulted in the readers' turning away from this important institution of the country.
If the National Library of Bangladesh continues to deteriorate in such a manner, the dark abyss awaiting the nation's future can be foreseen with closed eyes. A public library cannot function within limited office hours. To make libraries accessible to the people, it is essential to extend library hours, perhaps from 9 am to 10 or 11 pm, including government holidays. It would help readers to have access to a conducive environment for reading, which many lack at home.
Atif Aslam Tonmoy
Govt.Titumir College
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