Ctg divisional library still closed two years after inauguration, over 1 lakh books risk decay

Chattogram's nearly century-old Muslim Institute Hall and the 60-year-old divisional public library remain closed more than two years after their inauguration, putting over 1,00,000 books at risk and depriving the city of a vital cultural space. 

Shut for seven years due to prolonged development work, bureaucratic delays, and repeated extensions, the public library has suffered significant neglect. Although 92% of development work is complete, the project expired unfinished, keeping the facility non-operational.

Officials have been waiting for nearly one and a half years for approval to extend the project tenure once more. Project sources say the remaining 8% of work would take about six months to complete. The matter has been formally placed before the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, with an extension request now in process.

Ironically, the Muslim Institute Hall and the Divisional Government Public Library were inaugurated on 28 October 2023 by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, despite the project remaining incomplete. The ceremony coincided with the inauguration of several major development projects in Chattogram, including the Karnaphuli Tunnel.

Rising costs, repeated delays

The Chattogram Divisional Public Library project began in 2018 with an estimated cost of Tk232 crore, planned by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as a central hub for education, research, and cultural practice in the city. Over time, the cost rose to Tk281 crore. Originally scheduled to run from July 2018 to June 2020, the deadline was extended four times, each by one year, before finally expiring in June 2024.

The prolonged closure has sparked growing frustration among students, researchers, and general readers. Literary community members say the library's decline began with renovation work, and the seven-year shutdown has severely affected reading habits, particularly among young learners.

Veteran journalist and columnist Subhash Dey told The Business Standard, quoting a familiar maxim: "There is an end to all thirst except the thirst for knowledge." He noted that libraries abroad often remain open day and night to serve working people, while Chattogram's divisional library has been closed for years.

"As a result, people are being cut off from learning and intellectual practice. A city cannot survive on commerce and concrete alone; without spaces for knowledge and culture, urban life loses its meaning," he said. Dey added that most library users are middle- and lower-middle-class people who cannot afford to buy books. "A library is both a place of education and recreation. It represents a core philosophy of a modern city and should be opened immediately," he said.

Officials cite Covid disruptions

Deputy Project Director Md Kamrul Hasan stated that the project, officially designed for three years, commenced full-scale work in 2019. "Construction was later halted due to Covid-19. Overall, the project was delayed. At present, nearly 92% of the work has been completed, and an application for extending the project tenure has been submitted," he told TBS.

Principal Librarian-cum-Deputy Director Debashish Bhattacharjee stated that the project was now nearing completion. "The structural work of the multi-storey building is complete. Only lift installation, air-conditioning, and interior design remain. Discussions are ongoing, and we hope to receive positive news within a month," he said.

He added that steps were being taken to protect the book collection from damage.

A vision yet to be realised

The project was conceived as far more than the construction of a 15-storey library. It envisioned a comprehensive cultural complex, with nine reading rooms capable of accommodating around 1,500 readers at a time, alongside seminar halls, a dedicated reading space for persons with disabilities, a separate floor for children, a research centre, and dormitory facilities. 

The adjoining Muslim Institute building now houses a 900-seat auditorium, a mini-auditorium, seminar rooms, an art gallery, and a souvenir shop. Despite this expansive vision, the institution, custodian of a collection of 111,000 books, remains shuttered, suspended in administrative uncertainty.

Civil society groups in Chattogram have renewed their demand for the immediate opening of the historic public library, warning that prolonged inaction risks more than physical decay. They warn that the delay is gradually weakening the city's intellectual and cultural life, while a public institution meant to be open to all, as a space for learning, reading, and shared memory, remains out of reach.