A delight for bibliophiles

Bookcentric is a virtual library initiated by lawyer Mehvish Zaidi and entrepreneur Tasneem Tambawala who wanted to share their love for books with others. Started in 2017, today, Bookcentric contains one of the largest collections of original English books, mainly the ones which people usually do not expect to find in local stores in Bangladesh. Given the inadequate collection of foreign books and dearth of new arrivals in most of the bookstores in the country, a service like Bookcentric is much-needed. Bearing in mind that original books can be expensive, especially for young readers, Bookcentric lets people borrow books at quite affordable prices. The virtual library provides books to readers through subscription plans on a monthly, half-yearly or yearly basis. They have different plans to suit all types of readers and special plans for children up to 12 years of age. "The service is delivered through our online platform, where one can browse the titles and message us with requests to borrow," says Mehvish. Some readers also just tell them what genres they want to read, and Bookcentric provides them with customised recommendations. The borrowed books are delivered to the readers at pick-up points by Bookcentric.

Furthermore, Bookcentric is known for events where they display their books for everyone to browse through, with nooks for people to sit and read them. They also host storytelling sessions for children.

Overall, Bookcentric aims to promote the habit of reading, critical thinking as well as cultural and intellectual engagement for a more empathetic society. Currently, the service is available in Dhaka and Chattogram, and the founders plan to take it to all corners of Bangladesh in the near future.