Batighar Adarsha Library: Spreading light in silence

A library, set up at a remote rural area in Tangail by a university student (now a police officer), has been helping local people including youths and students gather knowledge and become enlightened citizen for the last one decade.

Md Kamruzzaman Sohag, former student of criminology and police science department at Mawlana Bhasani Science and Technology University in Santosh, set up the library "Batighar Adarsha Library (Lighthouse Ideal Library)" at his house at Chourakora village in Mogra union in Sadar upazila on February 21, 2010 with a slogan 'Let's read books, enlighten ourselves'.

Men and women of any age, including students, can come here and immerse themselves in the ocean of knowledge. If anyone wants, he or she can become a member of the library following certain rules. If any reader wishes, he can read the book in the library and if he wants, he can take it to home.

Meanwhile, after founder Sohag joined as an officer of Bangladesh Police in 2018, the library has been running under the supervision of a group of local young students studying in local colleges and universities. They help others become members of the library and borrow books from it and return them. Besides, they also organise different positive events at the library.  

"The library is not only about reading books. We also organise different events including general knowledge competitions among primary and secondary students, providing scholarships, recitation of poems, songs and recitations of the Quran, and holding discussion on various contemporary issues at the library," Sohag said.    

Sohag, now serving as a sub-inspector at police headquarters, also said that he has established the library as there are many people who love to read books but cannot afford to buy books regularly. "Previously it was our small effort to make it easier for them to read books," he said.

The library currently has around 700 different types of books in its collection. Such as science, literature, history, biography, religion, books on job preparation, magazines, newspapers, magazines on current affairs, academic books and juvenile literature.

"I am really grateful to those who have contributed to the development of the library with books and advice at different times," Sohag said.   

Aminul Islam, a third-year honours student and also a regular reader of the library, said, "Since there is no library nearby, we had to go to the district public library to read books, which is 12 kilometres away.  So even if I wanted to, I didn't always get the chance."

"Because of the inception of this library, we are getting immensely benefitted," he said.    

Anwar Hossain, headmaster of local Chowdhury Malancha High School, said that the library is playing a positive role in building reading habits among the common people. "I believe that by reading different types of books in addition to the textbooks, students are enriching their knowledge which will enlighten their future," he said.

Abdullah Khodabox, a senior citizen and social worker, said, "Reading a book has brought positive change among the boys and girls of our village. Giving time to this library instead of gossiping is keeping them away from various addictions. We hope the 'Lighthouse Ideal Library' will move forward. The light of knowledge will spread all around." 

Azaharul Islam, chairman of Mogra Union Parishad, said, "I would like to thank all those involved in the library for taking such an excellent initiative. This library is making an important contribution in building a knowledge based society. I will always be there for the development of the library."

Asked about the future plans, the founder of the library (SI Sohag) said that there are plans to further enrich the collection of books in the future, including the construction of a modern building for the library. "My father has already assured to donate a piece of land for the new library building," he said.

Apart from developing the habit of reading books among the people, initiatives will also be taken by this organisation to solve various problems of the society, Sohag said.