Books and blades: The barber who built a library in his salon
In a small salon in Chattogram's Aturar Dokan area, customers waiting for a haircut reach not for their phones, but for books.
Shelves line the walls—poetry, fiction, essays, translations—more than a thousand titles in total. Behind the chair stands Pradip Projjol, a barber by trade and a writer by heart.
Born in 1985 in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar, Pradip grew up in hardship. Separated from his parents at the age of three, he was raised by his maternal uncle and grandmother.
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Although he had a strong interest in studies, family adversity forced him to leave school after class nine.
His uncle worked as a barber, and it was from him that Pradip learned the trade that would later become his lifelong profession. While still in fifth grade, he began helping in his uncle's salon and eventually took up barbering full-time.
After working for years in Dhaka, he returned to Chattogram and opened Adwaita Hairdresser in 2010.
What began as a modest salon gradually transformed into a space for literature and community. It became both his source of income and a reflection of his lifelong connection with books.
In between trimming hair and shaving beards, Pradip wrote poems and stories on his phone whenever inspiration struck.
His first poetry collection was published in 2014; since then, he has written nine books — including poetry, fiction, and children's stories.
The salon library grew from a few personal books into an organised collection of over a thousand volumes.
Customers browse while waiting, often staying long after their haircut to finish a chapter.
"Some boys who study at nearby schools and colleges come. They read a book of their choice for a while and then leave. They come just to read books," he said.
"Some school and college students come just to read. Others bring their children because there's no library nearby," Pradip added.
His initiative has turned the salon into a small but vibrant literary hub.
The Projjol Pathagar, as it is now known, even hosts literary gatherings and discussions.
In 2023, Pradip introduced the Projjol Pathagar Literary Award, honouring six writers in three categories. He also edits a small magazine under the same name.
Books became Pradip's refuge from loss and loneliness. What began as personal solace now connects an entire community through shared reading.
The idea of expanding his library beyond the salon is already taking shape—another Projjol Pathagar is being set up in his Nasirabad branch, and he has donated books to libraries in his home village.
For Pradip, the scissors and the pen are inseparable.
"I believe my salon is a place for progressive, refined, and pure people; no one whose behaviour is unrefined or distasteful will come here. Stories and discussions also take place here, but I have tried to maintain an environment where the stories are also refined and relevant," said Pradip.
In a city where time rarely pauses, his salon offers something rare—a space where words, not noise, fill the air.
