Bangladesh National Library

Bangladesh National Library

Shabag , Dhaka-1207

On March 11, 1891, the Imperial Record Department was founded in Calcutta. The Imperial Records Department became known as the National Archives of India when the kingdom was divided in 1947. In November 1951, the Directorate of Archives and Libraries opened the National Archives of Pakistan in Karachi. Prior to Bangladesh's independence, a branch office of the aforementioned office called "Delivery of Books and News Paper Branch" operated at a rented home on Noorjahan Road in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, with the aim of establishing the National Library in what was then East Pakistan. East Pakistan did not have a branch of the National Archives.

During the last stages of Bangladesh's battle for independence, Mr. Md. Abul Hashem oversaw the operation of the aforementioned office. Assistant Director Mr. Sahabuddin Khan relocated from Karachi and joined there during the conflict. They relocated the branch following the War of Independence to the second floor of 103 Old Elephant Road.

Under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, the People's Republic of Bangladesh Government established the Department of Archives and Libraries under the Department of Sports and Culture Affairs of the Ministry of Education in 1972 after realizing the significance of maintaining the permanent records and archives of the government, including the priceless documents of the Great Liberation War.

Dr. Khondkar Mahbubul Karim, Director of the Pakistan Directorate of Archives and Libraries, escaped Pakistan on November 6, 1972, joined the Ministry of Education, and was appointed Director of Archives and Libraries on an as-needed basis. By 1973, additional Bengali officers and workers had joined the 103 Old Elephant Road and 372 Old Elephant Road offices after being repatriated from Pakistan. Following that, the organization's provisional budget and staffing plan were approved for the first 48 positions.


The National Archives and National Library were given a total of 4 acres of land on January 3, 1974, at the current location of 32, Justice SM Morshed Sarani, Agargaon, and Sherebangla Nagar. Under the initial five-year plan, a project proposal was made to the government for the creation of permanent structures for the National Archives and National Libraries. Under the direction of architect Khandakar Mazharul Islam, the building's architectural style was developed to blend in with the other structures in Sher-e-Bangla city. On January 21, 1978, the first brick in the first phase of the National Library Building's construction was laid after the project proposal and design were approved. The National Library relocated to rented space at 106 Central Road in 1979 after leaving 103 Old Elephant Road.

Company information at a glance

Company Name : Bangladesh National Library
Office Hours : 09:00 am to 04:00 pm
Address : Shabag , Dhaka-1207
Phone : +8802-8181683
Email : dg@nanl.gov.bd
Social Media Link :
Website Link : www.nanl.gov.bd