Book lovers on Saturday formed a human chain in Rajshahi city protesting against the move of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra to suspend its mobile libraries in the divisional cities and return them to Dhaka.
They also urged the institution to continue its mobile library programme so that people could enlighten themselves.
Taking part in the human chain at the C&B Mor, Rajshahi University information science and library management department student Modhu Sudhan Chandra Barman said that they could visit the Bishwa Sahitya Kendra mobile libraries and read
books free.聽
He also mentioned that they could easily take books on wide range of topics, including world literature, contemporary philosophy, photography, art appreciation and cinema to home at a nominal fee.
鈥楤y reading books, we can enlighten ourselves as books introduce us to the great minds of the world. Instilling their intellectual resources in our minds by reading their works is the only way to achieve our vision and enrich our intellect,鈥� he added.
Ahmed Shafi Uddin, Sushasaner Janya Nagarik president of Rajshahi district, said that about 3,000 people of 43 places in Rajshahi city regularly read books from the BSK mobile library while about 20,000 members of it were being benefited.
鈥業t is unfortunate that the operation of the libraries is being suspended reportedly because of the financial crisis,鈥� he said.
Iqbal Hossain, library officer of the BSK mobile library programme, said that he received a directive from the authorities that stated that
the operation of the mobile library would expire on December 31, and the mobile library would be taken to Dhaka on January 1, 2025.
鈥榃e do not want any financial benefit or salary from the BSK. We want the operation of the mobile library to be continued,鈥� he added.
