The Rāmamālā Library in Comilla

The Rāmamālā Library in Comilla was founded in 1935 by Maheshchandra Bhattyacharja from the contributions of local families who donated their private collections, hoping to protect them for future generations. Over time, the library gathered a wide range of texts, including Sanskrit scientific writings, Hindu legal texts, Bengali literature, and even Islamic mystical poetry. Among them is a rare Bengali version of the Mahābhārata and manuscripts about Satyapīr, a figure blending Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Despite its historical value, the library has been falling apart for years. The collection has never had a proper catalog. Only a few handwritten notes give a rough idea of what’s inside. The manuscripts, many written on palm leaves and fragile paper, are stored in small, dusty rooms with broken windows, exposed to sunlight, rain, and rats. The library's elderly caretaker, who has been looking after the collection for many years, does his best, but without help, the manuscripts are slowly being lost.

There have been some efforts in the past to preserve the collection. In the 1980s, Dhaka University undertook a microfilming project to archive parts of the collection. However, the microfilm copies later deteriorated and became unreadable, making it clear that a more sustainable approach to preservation was needed.

To save this collection, a group of scholars from Bangladesh, the UK, the US, and Canada joined forces to launch the Rāmamālā Library Manuscript Project. Their plan was to create a full catalog of all the manuscripts, digitize the most at-risk texts, and improve storage conditions to slow further damage. The project also aimed to train local students and researchers in preservation so that they could continue the work in the future. The project was funded by the British Library’s Endangered Archive Programme and was meant to be the first step in a long-term effort to protect these important texts.

The work officially began in 2014, but the team quickly realized the challenge was even bigger than expected. Instead of the estimated 6,000 manuscripts, they found closer to 9,000. Still, they got to work. They started digitizing manuscripts, carefully scanning each page so that the texts could be saved and shared with scholars worldwide. They also began converting the old handwritten notes into a proper digital catalog, giving a clearer picture of what was inside the collection. In just a few days, they managed to digitize 85 manuscripts, some over 600 pages long.

Then everything came to a halt. The Bangladesh government suddenly ordered the team to stop working. No reason was given. The researchers tried to find a solution and even met with the Secretary of Culture, Ranjit Kumar Biswas, who seemed supportive. To reassure the government, they made it clear that none of the manuscripts would be taken out of the library. They were working only inside the building, alongside local scholars, students, and workers. They also promised to improve the storage conditions by adding stronger shelves and blocking sunlight. But despite these assurances, the project was never allowed to continue.

Years later, another disaster struck. The digitized copies—the only preserved versions of some of these texts—became inaccessible after a cyber attack on the British Library in 2023. The attack damaged the archives and manuscript database, meaning, for quite some time, no one could access the project’s catalog.

It is a shame that we have to rely on foreign-led projects to preserve our own cultural heritage. But what is even more shameful is that our own government bureaucracy stands in the way of these efforts. The responsibility to protect and promote our cultural history should rest with us, not foreign institutions. If we have learned anything from the rise of K-Pop, K-Drama, and translated Korean literature in Bangladesh, it is that culture is more than just history—it is a national resource that can be exported to the world.

We must stop seeing preservation projects as desperate attempts to hold on to the past. Instead, we should recognize them as investments in a valuable national asset. If properly preserved and presented, Bangladesh’s rich literary and cultural traditions could gain global recognition, just like other countries have done with their cultural exports. The Rāmamālā Library should not be left to rot—it should be prepared for the world stage.