Rajshahi students seize mobile library over presence of pro-Awami League literature
Activists from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) intercepted a mobile library vehicle operated by the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Rajshahi on Wednesday, alleging that the collection contained prohibited literature promoting former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her predecessor, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The incident occurred at Rajshahi College, where JCD members discovered several hundred books related to the previous government and its leadership inside the mobile unit.
Following the confrontation, JCD city unit member secretary Emdadul Haque Limon directed the vehicle to the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to register a formal protest. Limon accused the library administration of attempting to influence readers with ideological literature that he characterized as remnants of a "fascist" regime. He further demanded accountability for those responsible for maintaining the collection, citing recent government directives in other districts to remove such materials from public circulation.
Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam inspected the vehicle and subsequently instructed the library’s management to remove the controversial books from the mobile unit. While the Deputy Commissioner declined to comment on the matter to the press, the library's local unit in-charge, Jahangir Alam, submitted a written commitment to the administration pledging to withdraw the materials immediately.
Alam apologized for the oversight, explaining that the library unit had been dormant for a year before resuming operations. He noted that although efforts were made to store the books away from the reach of the public following the political transition on August 5, the lack of an alternative storage facility resulted in them remaining inside the transport vehicle. He confirmed that the books would be permanently cleared from the mobile collection and barred from circulation.
The mobile library project, managed under a joint initiative between the Department of Public Libraries and the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, is intended to promote reading habits in rural and marginalized communities. The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding the presence of political literature associated with the ousted Awami League government in state-supported cultural programs.
