Reading habit declining among Bangladeshis

A significant number of people in the country seem to be drifting away from the habit of reading books. Most libraries are almost empty. I believe that the easy access of internet is one of the main reasons for it. Most people would rather browse the internet or spend time on social media than read a book.

According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), on average, a facebook account is created every 12 seconds in Bangladesh. Already the number of internet users in the country is over 45 million.

This trend is affecting the teens mostly. Even, a decade ago, most students used to save money to buy a new novel or poetry book. But now-a-days, students save money to buy internet packages.

This trend is discouraging publishers and authors.

People should be concerned that the next generation is not reading books. They need to be inspired to read more. School authorities should also inspire and encourage students to read.

I hope that publishers and authors along with the civil society will come up with solutions to this problem. A nation that does not read books and newspapers is likely to have limited growth in knowledge and opinions.

Mubin Hasan Khan Ayon

Student,

Z.H. Shikder University of

Science & Technology

[email protected]