Coastal Public Library: A 16-year journey through storms on the Chattogram coast

Winter sunlight spreads softly across the landscape. The afternoon is wrapped in such stillness that it feels as though everything beyond the salt fields is breathing slowly. Workers are busy preparing for the new season – levelling sand, driving bamboo poles into the ground, and setting aside patches where salt will soon be dried.

Across the fields, along a winding dirt path, a group of teenage girls comes rushing in. Books in hand, curiosity in their eyes, and quiet ambition on their faces, they move with purpose. Their destination is a small library in Chhanua union under Banshkhali upazila – the Coastal Public Library. 

Reaching its door means walking three to four kilometres every day. Yet they come, because this is the only place that keeps the light of learning alive for them.

This is not just a library.

For women and girls along the coast, it is a steady source of light – a place to learn, a safe space to gather, and a source of mental strength. For 16 years, as coastal communities have faced the daily pressures of climate hardship, this library has stood quietly as a shelter for women who refuse to give up on education.

A lighthouse that endured storms and rain

The journey began in 2010, inside a small room of a cyclone shelter in the Boli Bazar area, about 17 kilometres from Chattogram city. The beginning was modest. It was not envisioned as a centre of literature or formal learning, but as an experimental effort – using an unused space inside a cyclone shelter.

The dream took firmer shape in 2017, when a permanent building was constructed on 28 decimals of privately owned land. With a roof of its own, the initiative gained new momentum.

This salt-farming region remains waterlogged for much of the monsoon season. Salty air, repeated cyclones, and the constant threat of natural disasters cause many social initiatives to collapse before completing even a single year. Against that reality, sustaining a full-fledged library was a bold undertaking.

Yet that is precisely what journalist Saife Anowarul Azim has done – keeping the library alive through 16 years of uninterrupted efforts, public participation and donations from various social organisations, standing firm where many others could not.

Learning beyond barriers

In the early days, resistance came from many directions. The idea of women studying freely or visiting a library regularly was seen by some as a "social risk." There were fears that girls would become "too independent," or that reading too much would make them disobedient at home. A few influential locals even voiced their objections openly.

Yet Saife Anowarul Azim, along with the library's earliest readers, did not step back.

Today, the picture has changed entirely. Girls who once rarely stepped outside their homes are now regular visitors. Many are doing better in their studies. Some speak of future careers, while others have learned to express their opinions clearly within their families.

The library has also created employment for three women. Once regular readers themselves, they now depend on the library for their livelihood – turning a place of learning into a source of economic stability.

Among them is Nazma Akhtar, one of the library's three librarians. Once a regular reader herself, she now oversees the books and the daily rhythm of the space.

"I used to be a regular reader here. Now I work as the librarian," Nazma Akhtar said. "More girls come to the library than boys. We now have close to 10,000 books, and this work has become important in my own life."

A living archive of cyclone memory

The library was formally opened on 29 April, the anniversary of the devastating 1991 cyclone that left deep and lasting scars on communities along the Chattogram coast. The choice of date was deliberate.

The aim was simple: to ensure people do not forget their past – especially a history that carries lessons for the future.

In one corner of the library, old newspaper reports, photographs of cyclones, and carefully preserved memorabilia are displayed. As readers pause to look through them, the history of the coast begins to speak for itself.

From one table to 9,000 books

In its earliest days, the library had just one table and two chairs. Today, it houses 14 tables, 120 chairs, 18 bookshelves, and a collection of more than 9,000 books. The number of registered readers now exceeds 150, around 95% of them women.

The library remains open every day from 2pm to 6pm.

Librarian Mubaraka Begum said, "Around 40 to 45 readers come here daily. Many arrive exhausted after long walks, yet no one turns back. Their commitment shows how important this place is to them."

A science club and guidebooks for rural learners

Opportunities for hands-on science learning are limited in rural areas. To address that gap, the library has introduced the Coastal Science Club.

The club holds more than 200 science-related books, basic experimental tools, and even a telescope – an unfamiliar but exciting experience for many rural students encountering such equipment for the first time.

For students from low-income families who cannot afford guidebooks, the library keeps two guidebooks for each class from Grade Six to Grade Twelve. Financial support is also provided when needed.

Women, too, take books home. In November alone, 10 women borrowed books. The number may seem small, but in the coastal context, it marks a quiet but meaningful social shift.

A library that keeps rising after every storm

The two-storey structure, built of tin and fencing, has been damaged by storms many times. Operations were suspended for several weeks after a cyclone in 2022. In 2023, Cyclone Hamoon destroyed a large part of the building, putting much of the book collection at risk.

Yet Saife Anowarul Azim did not stop.

"I started this out of personal interest," he said. "Later I realised it was changing people's futures. The greatest challenge is disasters. I dream of a permanent building – one where books will no longer be at risk during storms."

Although some support has come from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, it has not been enough. To help cover costs in the future, there are plans to launch a vegetable farming project beside the library, creating a small but steady source of income.

Women learning to stand stronger

For years, women in Chhanua lagged behind in education, health care, access to safe water, and reproductive health. The library has opened a new horizon. Here, girls read and discuss books, learn about personal safety, and gain practical knowledge on how to respond during climate disasters.

Nazma Akhtar said the opportunity has reshaped her own life. "I never imagined I could work in a library like this in a village. I can now support my family. During the monsoon, when the area is waterlogged, activities slow down – but I want to stay here as long as I can."

Banshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Jamshedul Alam said the administration has provided support and would extend further assistance if an initiative is taken to build a permanent structure.

Today, the Coastal Public Library is more than a library. It stands as a symbol of resilience, the will to learn, and the possibility of change along the coast. For 16 years, it has kept its light on through cyclones, saline air, waterlogging, and social barriers.

With a permanent building, that light could travel further – reaching more girls, supporting more families, and giving many more the confidence to choose a new path.