Library named in memory of Abdus Salam has books, but no visitors

Although there are hundreds of books, there are no visitors to the Language Martyr Abdus Salam Library and Memorial Museum, located at Salam Nagar (Laxmanpur) in Dagonbhuiya upazila of Feni district.

But in the month of February, many media persons, employees of the local administration and people from all walks of life throng the library on the occasion of Language Martyr’s Day, as the local administration chalks out elaborate programmes.

On Monday morning, the local administration organised a handwriting competition at Language Martyr Abdus Salam Library and Memorial Museum and a prize-giving ceremony was also held.

Abdus Salam was one of those killed in police firing on 21st February 1952, marking the start of the Language Movement.

The government renamed the ancestral village of Abdus Salam, 13 km away from Feni district town. as Salamnagar in 2008. It was previously known as Laxmanpur.

A government primary school is located adjacent to the library and in front of the school, a Shaheed Minar was also built.

Nure Alam, the nephew of Language Movement Hero Abdus Salam, said people from all walks of life thronged there to pay tribute on 21st February.

There is only one image of Abdus Salam inside the museum, he said.

He also demanded to build of a gateway after the name of Abdus Salam on the Feni-Noakhali regional highway to make his history more memorable.

The local administration also renamed the Daganbhuiya upazila auditorium after his name Language Martyr Abdus Salam Auditorium.

Besides, a private college has been built named Language Martyr Salam Memorial College in the village.

During the inauguration of the library, the local administration provided many books at the library but no new books have been received at the library since then, he added. Besides, there is no newspaper at the library.

A librarian and a caretaker have been appointed but they are passing idle time there due to a lack of readers.

Following the demand of the family of Abdus Salam, the government identified the grave of the Language movement hero at Azimpur graveyard in 2017, 65 years after his death.

During a recent visit to the library, this UNB correspondent found that hundreds of books were available on the shelves of the library but after waiting for a long time no readers were found.

Md Lutfur Rahman Babul, a librarian, said there are 3,500 books at the library and all are old. The library is kept open daily but no readers come there.

Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, president of Language Martyr Abdus Salam Smriti Parishad, said the young generation can know about Abdus Salam from their textbooks but it needs to be expanded. He also stressed the need for introducing the Bengali language everywhere.

Nahida Akter Tania, Daganbhuiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said like every year, the local administration has taken up a programme to mark the day.