Jashore Institute Public Library

The library was founded in 1851, making it the oldest in the country and one of the oldest in South Asia. In 1927 it was merged with the Aryan Theatre and the Town Club to form the Jashore Institute, and the town grew up around it, with the Town Hall built in 1904. During the Second World War the Royal Indian Air Force took over the compound. Today it holds over 67,000 books in Bangla and English. A short stop in the middle of town for anyone who loves old institutions.

How to get there

It is in the town centre near Dhaka Road; a rickshaw from anywhere in Jashore town.

Good to know

Go during opening hours, keep quiet in the reading room, and ask staff before taking photos.

• #heritage
• #literature
• #colonial
• #city