Batighar first opened its doors in Chattogram way back in 2005. It took almost another decade before it opened its second store in 2017 in the capital Dhaka. By then, the bookstore had become somewhat of an icon in the port city.

Now it continues to expand its horizons and has opened another store in Sylhet city in April this year.

Though, Batighar has not been inaugurated officially yet, readers flock the store to get a look at the huge collection of books and the mesmerising interior.

The interior of the store replicates Kean Bridge and the clock of Ali Amjad as an ode to the historical heritage of the city.

Like other stores of Batighar in Chattagram and Dhaka, the store in Sylhet is also designed by painter Sahinur Rahman.

“This is quite amazing to have such bookstore with excellent interior and environment. We were eagerly waiting for the store to open and now we hope that it will live up to its names and quench our thirst for good books,” said Abhijit Paul, an education officer and a reader visiting the store.

“Batighar has become a creative hub for writers and readers, where they meet, talk and get first hand review of their books. I wish Batighar keeps its promise of promoting a good and vibrant culture of book reading,” said Sumankumar Das, folklore researcher and writer.

Batighar has more than ten million books on hundreds of topics by thousands of writers, said Batighar’s proprietor Dipankar Das.

“With only a bookstore of a hundred square feet at Cheragi Pahar Mor of Chattagram, Batighar started its journey and then shifted to 1600 square feet store at Press Club Building of the city in 2012”, he said.

Dipankar Das said, “Batighar is not only a bookstore. It is a hub for writers and readers. It regularly offers meetings with writers at its store and such programmes will be organised in Sylhet too”.