The director of Granthakendra, Afsana Begum, has resigned

Director Afshana Begum Relieved from National Library

In a surprising development, the interim government has relieved Afshana Begum from her post as Director of the National Library.

A notification issued on Tuesday, 20 January, by the Ministry of Public Administration stated: “Pursuant to the notification dated 5 September 2024, the remaining term of Afshana Begum’s contract-based appointment as Director of the National Library has been cancelled.”

At the time of the government’s announcement, Afshana Begum was away from Dhaka, attending a four-day training workshop with her colleagues. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, she said, “I had brought 25 colleagues to a training session. We are now on the third day of the four-day programme. Last night, around 9:30 pm, one of my colleagues informed me that the government had terminated my appointment. I am returning to Dhaka now.”

Afshana Begum emphasised that she had no prior knowledge of the decision. “I was not given any notice to show cause. The government has the authority to cancel appointments at any time, and it has exercised that authority. There is nothing more for me to say,” she added.

Reflecting on her tenure, she remarked, “I was appointed for a two-year term and had been planning my work accordingly. Now, I am leaving with several initiatives only partially completed.”

Her replacement is expected to be A H M Sakhawat Ullah, also known as poet Sakhawat Tipu. While some social media users have already congratulated him on the appointment, Tipu told reporters on Wednesday morning that he had not yet received the official notification.

Afshana Begum is an accomplished author and scholar. She completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Jahangirnagar University before pursuing a master’s in International Development Management at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

She has published 24 books, primarily in children’s and young adult literature. Notable titles include Protichhaya, Bedonar Amra Sontan, Ami Athoba Amar Chhaya, and Dingoto Kopotto. Begum has also translated works by international luminaries such as Nadine Gordimer, William Faulkner, Julio Cortázar, Alice Munro, Isaac Asimov, and Fidel Castro. In recognition of her literary contributions, she was awarded the Jemcon Young Fiction Writers’ Award in 2014.

The sudden termination has sparked debate among literary and academic circles, many of whom lament the disruption of ongoing projects under her leadership at the National Library.