Cramped wooden bins hang from the bushes, corresponding to birdhouses to birth with stare. But in location of birds, these bins are full of books. Someone can pick a book to read and is anticipated to come it to the identical feature after reading.
Here’s a like many might perhaps perhaps partner with international countries, in most cases considered in viral social media posts that proceed viewers wishing for one thing identical here. But now, this routine scene might perhaps perhaps furthermore be witnessed appropriate in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi Lake.
The creator within the again of those routine bookcases is Zakia Rayhana Rupa, a factual book fanatic. Her inspiration got here from a video she stumbled upon on Facebook. The video showcased a noteworthy notion in Germany — bookshelves placed alongside streets, at bus stops, and even in forests. Other folks had been considered reading and donating books.
Rupa notion, “If it is that you may well like in Germany, why no longer in Bangladesh?” Driven by this notion, she determined to dwelling up identical puny bookcases in Dhaka. Living near Dhanmondi Lake, she naturally selected the advise as the beginning level for her initiative.
“The first bookcase and books had been funded by me, but from then on, the complete bookcases and books being added had been donated by folks. One person donated 117 books from their grandmother’s series, one more despatched spherical 20 books, and somebody even couriered books. This initiative is all that you may well like due to of all people’s strengthen.”
On 16 November, Rupa started with factual one bookcase, full of five books by Mohiuddin Mohammad. Currently, there are 10 bookcases placed across the lake, every offering a differ of books.
Rupa shared that the response has been overwhelming from the beginning. Other folks of all ages visiting the lake have proven enormous curiosity. Many have started reading regularly, whereas even those that enact no longer read are as a minimal selecting up the books to take a like.
Below every bookcase, Rupa has hung a admire that reads, “Take a book, read it, and return it moderately to the bookcase if you are done. Please enact no longer take the books dwelling.” She has furthermore encouraged folks to donate books.
Lamia Islam Chhoa, who used to be reading a book from notion to be one of the bookcases, shared that she completely loves this initiative.
“I will’t even birth to display conceal how fully delighted this makes me,” acknowledged Chhoa. “I come for a stroll by the lake every day. Even when it is factual for 10 minutes, I strive to read a book. And even though I have no longer read, it is merely noteworthy to be near these extraordinary books.”
The puny bookcases are catching the admire of many. Rupa explained that the clarification for making them puny is to make certain books are with out complications accessible to folks.
“I will location these bookcases appropriate inner folks’s reach,” Rupa acknowledged. “Each and every person holds about seven to eight books. Since they’re puny, I will location several in a single advise. Wherever folks sit down, I will save one there, so anyone can merely reach out and take a book to read.”
Rupa’s initiative has impressed many people. Amongst them is Kazi Mohammad Numan, a pupil of Dhaka College, who prompted ten books from his series to be capable to add to the bookcases merely out of his admiration for the foundation.
Rupa shared, “The first bookcase and books had been funded by me, but from then on, the complete bookcases and books being added had been donated by folks. One person donated 117 books from their grandmother’s series, one more despatched spherical 20 books, and somebody even couriered books. This initiative is all that you may well like due to of all people’s strengthen.”
Reasonably than specializing in novels, reports, and poetry, Rupa has moderately selected books that might perhaps perhaps encourage sure intellectual yell. She has incorporated works by famend authors cherish Rabindranath Tagore, Humayun Azad, and Ahmed Sofa.
Rupa acknowledged, “Focused on our population, the resolution of libraries within the country is amazingly low. In this metropolis full of web stutter visitors, by the level you rating to a library, you lose the peace of thoughts wished to read. I notion if books will most likely be made with out complications accessible to folks, they would birth reading. Even those that have no longer have the behavior of reading will within the break change into pondering watching others read.”
Rupa shared that many people have proven curiosity in her initiative. “All people has reacted so positively, eagerly sharing it with others. I’m receiving various messages from completely different areas,” she acknowledged.
Many have furthermore expressed a wish to collaborate alongside with her. To this, Rupa replied, “You have no longer necessarily must be half of me. You would possibly perhaps well also take the initiative on your like neighbourhood and birth one thing identical on your like.”
Because the night dwelling in, Abdullah Al Mamun sat on a bench by the lake, reading the Bengali translation of Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days on the Morisaki Bookstall. At some level of our conversation, he acknowledged, “Other folks are residing on by their deeds. Even when the person within the again of this initiative isn’t any longer spherical, some might perhaps perhaps restful bear in mind her and state that she used to be the one who first placed bookcases in Dhanmondi Lake. I thank her for this noteworthy initiative.”
