DHAKA, Sept 23, 2021 (BSS) - State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid today said that a total of 100 saloon libraries have been set up across the country on an experimental basis through the National Library to make people enriched with knowledge.

    "Aiming to enrich people with the light of knowledge, 100 saloon libraries have been set up across the country on trial basis through the National Library," he said.

    He was addressing the inaugural function of a series of reading programmes titled 'Pori Bangabandhu er Boi, Sonar Manush Hoi' at Shawkat Osman memorial auditorium of Central Public Library here as the chief guest marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country's independence.

    Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs Simin Hossain Rimi, MP, inaugurated the three-month-long programme.

    Mentioning that the present government is working for the development of public-private libraries, Khalid said that an integrated project for digitization of libraries is being undertaken in collaboration with the ICT division. After implementation it will usher in groundbreaking changes in accessing and providing information services from libraries.

     He also announced a grant of Taka 3 lakh for 100 libraries (Tk 3 ,000 each library) participating in a series of reading programmes organized by the National Library.

    National Book Centre Director Minar Monsur gave welcome speech in the programme with Cultural Affairs Ministry secretary Md Abul Mansur in the chair.

    Besides, Director-General of the Department of Public Libraries Md Abubakar Siddique and Private library representative and president of the Dhania library Shahnawaz were also present as special guests, among others.