UGC to Digitally Archive Rare Private Book Collections Nationwide
UGC plans to launch digital archiving for rare personal book collections nationwide. Daily Jugantor Editor Abdul Hai Shikder's 10,000 books will be archived at Begum Rokeya University.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh is taking a policy initiative to rescue and preserve rare personal book collections scattered across the country by converting them into digital archives for future generations of researchers. As part of this landmark initiative, the UGC has facilitated a decision to preserve around 10,000 rare books from the personal collection of Daily Jugantor Editor Abdul Hai Shikder at the central library of Begum Rokeya University (BRUR) in Rangpur under a dedicated special corner.
The decision was taken on Wednesday (July 8), during a high-level meeting between UGC Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Editor Abdul Hai Shikder, and BRUR Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Shawkat Ali at the UGC office. Mohammad Jaminur Rahman, Director (Additional Charge) of the Public Relations and Media Division of UGC, along with other senior officials, was present.
The UGC Chairman requested the university authorities to take necessary measures to collect and preserve the books by December 2026, promising full technical and policy support from the commission. He emphasized that physical preservation must be paired with digital archiving so that global and local readers can easily access these resources online.
Abdul Hai Shikder shared that his collection includes around 10,000 books spanning Bengali literature, world history, research, and science—some inherited and others collected over decades globally. Nearly 3,000 of these rare editions are at risk of permanent decay if not archived immediately. Highlighting the tragic historical loss of linguist Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah’s library, where rare books ended up in scrap shops due to lack of institutional support, he praised the current move. Inspired by academician Syed Ali Ahsan's donation to Jahangirnagar University, Shikder is handing over his life's work to BRUR. Vice-Chancellor Dr. Shawkat Ali stated that this addition will tremendously enrich their academic infrastructure. During the meeting, Abdul Hai Shikder also proposed establishing 'Nazrul Centers' and reinstating 'Nazrul Professor' chairs across public universities, a suggestion the UGC Chairman promised to consider with high importance.
//DBTech/MZR/SMIH//
