A week-long book exhibition has been inaugurated at the historic Annada Govind Public Library in Pabna, marking Language Month with a celebration of books, manuscripts and heritage.
The exhibition features six rare palm-leaf manuscripts handwritten more than 600 years ago, thousands of century-old books, and newspapers and magazines published around 100 years ago. Visitors can also see books arranged by subject and era, covering languages such as Bengali, English, French, Hindi, Urdu and several others.
The inauguration took place on Sunday afternoon, with senior educationist Professor Kamruzzaman formally opening the exhibition by cutting the ribbon.
A brief inaugural programme was held at the library’s meeting room. Freedom fighter and Vice President of the library Rabiul Islam Robi presided over the event, while unpaid Secretary General Abdul Matin Khan moderated the session. Among others present were Professor Shibjit Nag, former Pabna Press Club president ABM Fazlur Rahman, Advocate Abdul Hannan, Dr Muhammad Habibullah, former Press Club editor Utpal Mirza, former headmistress Begum Rokhsana Daisy, and District Cultural Officer Marufa Manjari Khan Soumi.
Annada Govind Public Library is one of the oldest and most resource-rich libraries in Bangladesh. Founded in 1890 by Annada Govinda Chowdhury, a descendant of the Tantiband zamindar family, the library stands on land on Abdul Hamid Road in Pabna town. It began its journey in a modest two-room building with a small collection of Bengali, Sanskrit and French books.
Over the years, both the building and the collection have expanded significantly. Now 136 years old, the library houses more than 38,000 books and has long played an important role in the educational and cultural life of Pabna and nearby areas.
The oldest book in the collection, The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, was published in 1758. The library also preserves works on Bengali literature, as well as books in Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Pali and several European and Asian languages. In addition, it holds thousands of newspapers, journals and little magazines.
The library’s rare palm-leaf and paper manuscripts continue to attract researchers and readers from home and abroad.
Speaking at the event, Professor Kamruzzaman said such a library is rare in Bangladesh and can serve as an outstanding learning centre for knowledge seekers. He urged people of all ages to visit and support the library.
Unpaid Secretary General Abdul Matin Khan said the collection is one of the richest in the subcontinent, featuring centuries-old books, periodicals and rare manuscripts. He added that the exhibition, organised as part of Language Month, will remain open until February 7.
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