The soul cries for Readers !

 

Abu Sufian sold his wife's jewelry to save the library that now attracts readers from all age groups and walks of life

They often have to pass their days in extreme hardship, sometimes half-fed, sometimes even unfed. Yet they have never deviated from or wavered in their resolve. They have made their life's sole mission a library that is dedicated to the cause of kindling light in the lives of others. They are a couple living in a remote small town where they run the dream of their life.

Always smiling and soft-spoken, Abu Sufian is a popular name in his neighborhood. He is an indomitable spirit in his business of disseminating light that is knowledge. And his wife, Selina Akter Kanak, is a real sahadharmini in the true sense of the Bengali term that refers to a woman who religiously follows her husband in what he believes and does. The tale of this couple is in stark contrast to countless stories across the country in which the wife under duress or torture is forced to give away her money or valuables, like gold jewelry, to her truant husband so that he can indulge in gambling, drinking or even meaner vices. But theirs is a totally different story. Coming from a modest background, Kanak gladly handed over her only valuable possession, a pair of gold bracelets, to her husband so that he could save a library. Kanak not only parted with her possession for the library, she has also been a comradein- arms with her husband in raising money for the library and running it.

Sufian wants to spend his life for spreading the light of knowledge in the lives of the downtrodden people of society in particular. He cannot imagine parting with the library during his life, not even when he will be dead. "When I will die I want to be buried beside this library," he said in an emotionally charged voice, his eyes welling up in tears. He loves the library so much that he not only sold his wife's gold, but also the land and house that he had inherited as his share of the paternal property. Once he even spent the money meant for buying milk for his children.

Sufian and Kanak live and run their library in Darshana, a small industrial town in the western Bangladesh district of Chuadanga. The town is about 22 kilometers from the district headquarters. The Mathabhanga, once a mighty river, flows on the western side of the town. Like that river flows towards its destination, Sufian breathes for his library. He was born in this town in 1965 in the staff quarter of the Carew and Company, where his father Eskander, now deceased, worked. Eskander came to the town for a job in the company from his ancestral home at Kolpur village of Boltali union in Sadar upazila of Gopalgonj district.

Although Eskander was just a power engine driver, he wanted to raise his children so that they could become educated and good human beings. Sufian started his studies at Carew Primary and High School. As he grew up, so did his mind and outlook. After completing his high school education he got himself admitted to Darshana College. At the college level he joined the Chhatra Union, a predominant platform for progressive student politics in those days, where he was introduced to an intellectual environment.

It was at that stage that Sufian began to feel that he should do something which will serve the people in their need for the light of knowledge. An idealistic as well as energetic and handsome young man, Sufian as if naturally attracted Kanak, a student of the same class with a similar spirit, and it did not take long for them to fall seriin love with one another. The young man and woman were so madly in love that they entered into wedlock before they finished their college. Married without having any source of income, they started a life that started coursing through the uncertainty of food, shelter and other basic needs, although there was no dearth of love and affection and compassion for one another in their life.

With the orientation to serve the selfless cause of knowledge distribution, the couple never got serious about the needs of their own life. For example, even when the light bulb in their room burns out, it takes several days to replace it. It often happens so that they have to skip a meal or two every now and then. Sometimes Sufian passes a day just on a cookie and a cup of tea offered by a reader, or an admirer, who has come to study in the library. Despite his hardship he does not miss a day in the library and always keeps it open for the readers.

Sufian and Kanak currently live in a small room of a tin-shed house at Mobarak Para of the town with their two kids a 14 years old son, Abu Saif Kashfat, nicknamed Sokal, and a seven-year-old daughter, Jannatul Ferdous, alias Mawa. This is not even a rented accommodation. The house is owned by a relative who let them live there free of charge as a gesture of kindness. Though theirs is not a welloff and very organized family, Sufian and Kanak have no end of dreams centering their son and daughter.

As back as about 25 years ago, towards the end of the 80's, a group of dedicated social workers launched a library-based community development movement under the title of Community Development Library or CDL with its main office in Dhaka. The objective of the library was to provide information services to researchers and development workers engaged in community level social development and rights-based initiatives across the country. The ultimate objective of the library program was to bring about a qualitative change in the life of backward communities of the country by providing them with access to knowledge.

CDL set up a large number of branches, along with a library component, and thus established a network of libraries throughout the country. Sufian too became a part of that movement, started a public library with the slogan 'Let knowledge be a tool for the emancipation of the underprivileged' in a rented house in 1989. Later when the CDL pulled out of the program, Sufian and Kanak did not let the library in Darshana go out of its existence. As a result of their fervent desire to continue the service, the library lived on. Particularly, the support and participation provided by Kanak was instrumental in keeping the library alive.

It may be noted that though the library was initially launched under the auspices of CDL, its authorities provided very limited funds for running the reading facility and thus Sufian took upon his small shoulders the big responsibility of ensuring the financial support for the activity. In course of time when it became very difficult for Sufian to run the library, Kanak, who was then an active member of the library, came forward to join hands with the vendor of light. The young woman, who would soon marry the man, did so much for the library that it was a remarkable and long story of sacrifice and dedication. Her love for the library was also so profound that on an occasion she stopped buying milk for their child so that they could pay the library's newspaper bill.

At a later stage, the library faced a major setback when the CDL authorities withdrew from the program and were no more providing money for the rent of the library accommodation. But how could Sufian think of closing down the library which was working as a lighthouse for the people of the surrounding communities? 

Abu Sufian has dedicated his life to spreading the light of knowledge amongst others

ous struggle to keep the library going, Kanak, then his wife for quite a while, came forward and wanted to make it a joint mission to carry forward the dream. Before Sufian could work out any plan to save the library, Kanak came forward with her most valuable possession, a pair of gold bracelets, which her husband had given her as a wedding gift. She said to him, "Here you go. Sell the pair and build a shed for the library."

The sad and, at the same time, happy man sold the gold, which fetched him 40,000 taka, half the original value, and spent the money for raising a tin-shed structure to house the library. They heaved a sigh of great relief, because the lighthouse was still standing on the ground!

Sufian was also never shy of parting with a portion of what he earned from his job, for the upkeep of the library. Even when he was working with Wave Foundation, an NGO, for a very modest salary, he used to spend a part of his monthly pay for the library. Actually he always kept a part of whatever money came his way, for the library. Thus, with his labor, money and other efforts he and his wife consistently nurtured the venture as if it was one of their children.

Now the small but rich library stands in the neighborhood of Chatka Tola near Darshana Government College. Though the reading facility is housed into a modest tin-shed structure, its location in a serene atmosphere replete with trees and plants has rendered it into a beautiful site to be in and around. The people who come to read and write in the library also have a good time being in the place. Practically, the reading facility has meanwhile become very attractive to those who want to pursue knowledge.

Though the library has in the meantime reached a stable condition after going through many ups and downs, it is yet to have a sound financial footing for its smooth operation. While it occasionally manages to receive funds in the form of grants from businesses or institutions, it is largely supported by subscriptions extended by well wishers. Many people who as students once attended this library are now employed and often give financial support to it.

Sufian and his wife have so far spent more than two million taka to raise, run and maintain the library as well as to arrange various educational, cultural and social programs under its auspices. Currently the library has a total of 237 registered readers and 20 life members. Besides, there are 101 members on the children's forum and 47 members on the women's forum run under the library. The library's collection includes a total of 2,440 books in different disciplines and 260 journals of various kinds. It subscribes to eight national dailies, two weeklies and a monthly on a regular basis.

"Nothing gives me more joy than the readers, who come to use the library when I see them in the library," said Sufian with a profound contentment ringing in the tone of his voice.