Dhaka Jail library left unused for years

The Dhaka Central Jail library goes unused for years as prisoners including over 150 VIPs, who comprise politicians, students and businessmen, take no books at all.
Insiders say the jail authorities have bought only a handful of religious books in the last 20 years in which no inmates show any interest.
In addition to buying only religious books, the authorities have managed to provide over 10,000 prisoners with merely four newspapers.
Besides, there is no library arrangement for the women prisoners in Dhaka, leave alone 66 other jails elsewhere in the country.
A one-storey tin-shed building houses the library, which has around five thousand books, including a number of rare collections.
But most of these books have been damaged due to lack of proper maintenance and shabby condition of the library building. Rains and stormy weather also add to further damage.
According to the library register book, no one of the VIP prisoners has drawn any books.
"They don't draw books from the library, as they collect books from their own sources," says Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons Major Shamsul Haider Siddique.
Mohammad Sohel Ahmed, in charge of the library, says they have around 5,000 books. Reading out the catalogue, he adds that 3,524 are in Bangla. Of those, 1,400 are novels, 1,100 Islamic books, 104 of history, 300 of biography, 210 of short stories, 250 of poetry and drama, 90 of tourism, and 70 of Hindu religion.
Besides, the library contains 1,132 English books, of which 500 are fiction, 105 of history, 400 miscellaneous, 210 of science, and 127 of Urdu literature.
During a visit, a number of rare and famous books were found in a very sorry state. Among the books are "War Crime in Vietnam" by Bertrand Russell, "Everyman's Encyclopaedia", Vol-9, by Master Christopher Henry Decca, "An Actors' Story" by Bras Williams, "Current Economic Problems of India" by JC Coyajec Kt, "Modern Short Stories" collected by John Bachman, "The Right Honourable Gentleman" by WE Norris, "Empires of the Sky" by Anthony Sampson, "Fine Things" by Danielle Steel, "Bestseller Author of Death Wish" by Brian Garfield, "Major Weir" by KL Mostogomes, "The Rover" by Joseph Conrad, "The Golden Age" by Kenneth Grahame, "Pakistan Cut to Size" by Dr Man Kekar, "Sociology of Bengal Politics and Other Essays" by Abu Zafar Shamsuddin and "The Authentic Story of the 14-day Indo-Pak War".
The insiders inform that although a variety of books were purchased in the past only religious books now get priority.
There are 27 foreign prisoners in the central jail who may like to read recent English books, the sources add.
According to the library rules, a prisoner can draw any books for seven days. If he fails to return the book within the deadline or loses or destroys it, he would not be issued any book in future.
Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Zakir Hassan tells The Daily Star: "We collect only Islamic books for the library. Besides, different organisations also often donate some books."
"We allow the VIP prisoners to collect books from their own sources. But the books must be non-political and not provocative. We allow the books to enter the jail after thorough checking," he adds.
Admitting the poor state of the books and dilapidated condition of the library, he further says: "The condition of all the jail buildings are worst. Any of them might collapse anytime."
On library facilities for women prisoners, he says: "Very recently, we have launched a library system for them in the central jail with around 60 books. But the women here have never shown any interest so far.”