Desk/SS
At the age of 98, Polan Sarker who aimed to promote reading habit of the villagers has passed away at his home in Bagha Upazila’s Bausa village at 12:30 pm on Friday (March 1, 2019). His son, Haider Ali said that he was suffering from old age complications for the last few days.
This nobleman was born in Natore’s Bagatipara Upazila on September 10, 1921, but the death of his father forced her mother to move to her parents’ house in Bagha of Rajshahi. So, he was raised there. Because of being poor he couldn’t afford the expenses of higher study. But he had a great thirst for knowledge.
Later on, he became engaged with theatre artists of his area and began reading the scripts of folk songs and dramas from the back stages. Thus, buying books and reading them became habitual to him. This way, he had gained a better knowledge in Bangla Language. So, people started hair him for writing deeds of lands purchase, different business agreements and writing the minute details of different meetings and conferences.
At his 60s, he planned to do something good for society by creating a reading habit in his locality. So, he started knocking doors of the villagers. He motivated them to read and also lend books to them for free. Every day, he walked village to village to give and take back those books from the villagers. He started the practice of walk and offering books together among the villagers due to his diabetes he admitted before. In 2008, he built his own library that has now five book distribution in different villages. Young people were also inspired by him and many of them joined him and raised a movement for reading books.
Polan Sarker was awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak in 2011 for his dedication toward social welfare and his unique thirst for education. So, the news of his death just casts a shadow of grief on the villagers and they came to his home just to see him for the very last time. His death also moves the nation as well.