Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury today said that mobile library services are currently being operated at 3,200 spots in 368 upazilas and police station areas across all 64 districts of the country.
The service is being delivered through 76 mobile library vehicles to expand reading opportunities at the grassroots level, he said.
The minister said this while responding to a tabled question by opposition bench member Md. Anwarul Islam (Kurigram-1) in Jatiya Sangsad.
He said the mobile library programme is creating alternative sources of reading materials for the general public, particularly women, children and adolescents.
The initiative is also helping develop reading habits, expand knowledge and engage young people in social and cultural activities.
Nitai Roy Chowdhury said that his ministry has kept a project titled “Construction of Cultural Centres at Upazila Level” under process through the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The project aimed at promoting reading habits, spreading the light of knowledge, keeping the younger generation away from negative cultural influences and drug abuse, and fostering a healthy cultural environment, he added.
Under the proposed project, one floor of each cultural centre will be allocated as a public library, he said.
The minister, however, said that a survey has already been completed and a Development Project Proposal (DPP) has been prepared for the construction of 26 upazila cultural complexes in the first phase.
If the project is approved, cultural complexes and modern libraries will be established gradually in all upazilas of the country, including Bhurungamari and Nageshwari upazilas under the Kurigram-1 constituency, he said.
