Chanbaru Memorial Library: A source of light

A source of light, Chanbaru Memorial Library has now become a centre of learning for students and teachers as well as for other villagers.

It is situated in a remote village, Majhpara, some 15-kilometre away from Baufal upazila in Patuakhali.

The library has books of different genres including Liberation War. People of different ages can also find books on science, travelogue, sports, novel, poetry and other necessary books and as well as magazines.

Many come to this library in search of knowledge and they take books home to read.

No membership fees are required here, said Md Mosharraf Hossain, headmaster of Sonamuddin Mridha Secondary School and also the director of the library, adding that it stays open for all every day from 10am to 10pm.

In 2017, Sabur Khan, a resident of Majhpara village, established the library on the premises of local Sonamuddin Mridha Secondary School which now has a collection of around 12000 books.

Some 30 years back, Sabur, a RMG trader by profession, passed SSC from this school and then earned a higher degree from Dhaka College.

Locals elected him as the chairman of the managing committee of the school in 2014. After taking over the charge as the chairman of the committee, he took various steps for the development of the school as well as for spreading the light of knowledge among the villagers.

Sabur then built a three-storied building on the school premises. He established Chanbaru Begum Memorial Library in the name of his mother on the ground floor of the building and Momin Uddin Khan Science Library in the name of his father on the second floor.

He also set up a social organisation called Chanbaru-Momin Uddin Foundation situated on the third floor of the building, said headmaster Mosharraf Hossain.

Chanbaru Begum Memorial Library also provides free computer training programme. Poor and meritorious students can receive hands-on training on computers from the library. There is also a free of cost photocopy facility in the library as it has a photocopy machine.

During a recent visit, this correspondent found teachers and students of various educational institutions in the area remained busy studying in the library. Some were receiving training on computers.

Nur Mohammad Mia, a veteran teacher and former UP chairman, said people spend time reading story books and magazines in the library. It is a unique place to spend leisure time.

The Chanbaru Memorial Library has now become a beacon of light among the locals, said headmaster Mosharraf.