Chittagong Public Library Reader Services Suspended for Seven Years

Reader services at the Chittagong Divisional Government Public Library, located in Chittagong, have been suspended for a continuous period of seven years, severely impacting local access to literature and educational resources. The interruption in public services began in 2019, when the facility officially closed its doors to facilitate the construction of a brand-new building for the institution. This prolonged closure has affected a major urban population, leaving book lovers and researchers without access to the library's extensive collection during the 2024–2025 period.

The infrastructure project initiated to house the library involves the construction of a modern 16-story building designed to accommodate the growing needs of the community. Although the physical structure has been erected, the project remains incomplete, meaning the new high-rise building is still not fully prepared for public occupancy and operational use. Project updates indicate that the construction initiative has achieved a 92 percent physical progress rate alongside an 83 percent financial progress rate, yet critical completion work remains outstanding.

The primary driver behind the extended closure is the sluggish pace of the broader Chittagong Muslim Institute Cultural Complex construction project, under which the library development falls. Due to persistent delays in executing the construction works, authorities have been forced to officially extend the project's implementation deadline all the way to June 2027. Consequently, the citizens of this massive urban area must wait even longer before the modern facilities can finally reopen their doors to the public.

Before the service disruption, the institution served as a vital cultural and educational hub for the region, holding a vast inventory of 111,547 books. Its periodic reading materials included six Bengali dailies, two English dailies, and 13 domestic periodicals, catering to diverse informational needs. The conceptualized new 16-story complex was envisioned to offer seating arrangements for approximately 10,000 readers, designed to serve a sprawling metropolis populated by roughly 6 million residents.

While the divisional library remains closed due to the unfinished 16-story building and the extended 2027 project deadline, residents have limited alternative public options in the city. For comparison, the City Corporation's public reading room situated on the western bank of Laldighi houses a collection of 45,000 books. However, the prolonged unavailability of the main divisional government library continues to be a notable institutional challenge for the wider community throughout the 2024–2025 timeframe.