A poor youth in remote area of Kurigram’s Ulipur upazila has been keeping well contribution to create reading habit through his established library.

The youth Joynal Abedin, 30, son of late Kasem Ali of Satvita village of Buraburi union under the Ulipur upazila established a library named ‘Satvita Gronthanir’ in 2016. The library is registration by National Public Library this year. Its number is Kuri-71 and date-18.03.2020.

He has built recently a small tin-shad house on one decimal of land near Satvita Community Clinic at the village. But he could not shift yet his library activity there in want of furniture.

Due to his family poverty, he started work as day-labour in local brick field while he was a class four student in 2000. But he completed class five later on.

He decided he will inspire other children to study, such that none can be less educated like him. At his childhood, he would buy childish books and read those. In this way he bought and read around 150 childish books that he would give (returnable) to read his neighbour friends.

After working 16 years in brick field, he started a job of paddy retailer in 2016 that he is continuing still. He buys paddy to local farmers and sell those to paddy business men of local markets. Now he gets profit around Taka ten thousand per month. With this profit, he maintains his family and buys some books each month.

On his vow, he made a home service library to his bedroom taking around 150 books in 2016. Now number of books is about 450. Of them, 200 books are childish books where there are different types of books.

Every day he distributes books to readers in the morning (before 9:00 am). Sometimes he collects books from readers’ home and offers new books. Now the number of regular readers is 35 while number of irregular readers is around 30.

Joynal Abedin said, “I have been working for local learners to grow interest to read books with my limited fund. And I am trying to build a separate complete library. But none helps me yet for developing Satvita Gronthanir library. I expect help to kind hearted people for the library.”

A college student Shahin Alam, 18, said, “I am a regular reader of the Satvita Gronthanir that is a lone library at my Satvita village. I read over 50 books in last three years. I inspire to other students to read the library books.”

Another college student Ibrahim Asad, 20, said, I read around 20 books of the library, where most of the books were science related.

Nazrul Islam, 65, an aged reader of the Satvita Gronthanir, said, “I am involved with the library for two years and like social-affair books. I am also trying to create new readers for the library.”

Shafiqul Islam, the concerned Ward Member of Buraburi union parishad, said, “My ward is a very poor area. There are 250 school-college going students in my ward. But there is no established library here. I know Joynal Abedin is a poor youth and paddy retailer who is trying to construct a complete separate library.”

Susanta Barman, Assistant Professor (Bengali) of Kurigram Government Women’s College and Director of Begali literary exercise-affairs website (granthagata.com), said, “I visited Joynal Abedin’s Satvita Gronthanir library. His book distribution activity is an exceptional.

Many rich educated persons cannot be keeping contribution in their society in education extension that Joynal Abedin is doing through his library. We are expecting more libraries in other rural areas like Satvita Gronthanir.”