Polan Sarkar’s footsteps may have stopped, but his books keep moving, spreading hope, knowledge, and joy across generations.
Polan Sarkar, born Harez Uddin in 1921 in Natore, had to quit school at a young age because of financial hardship. But guess what? That setback couldn’t shake his love for reading or for education. Growing up in his grandfather’s Bousa village home, he jumped into the local folk theatre scene and discovered a world of scripts, stories, and sneaky ways to sneak in a few quiet moments with a book.
Who could have imagined that boy, with no fancy teacher or school, would eventually become something like a walking, talking library?
Letting Books Be the Best Gift
Fast forward to 1965: Polan became chairman of the local high school, only after donating land for its building. During his time as chairman, he gifted books to the top ten students, which quickly generated a competition, with students desperately competing, not for the top grades, but for a book from Polan! But here’s the cherry on top: Polan thought it’d be even cooler if everyone had access to books.
The deal? Borrow one, read it, return it! And like magic, his worn-out, well-read books started circulating among learners, not just students but their entire households.
When a Diabetes Diagnosis Became a Book Delivery Plan
In 1992, Polan was diagnosed with diabetes and told to walk regularly for his health. For many, this would’ve been terrifying, daunting, maybe even the end of the story. He so easily could’ve failed to change his lifestyle, or let the diagnosis ruin it all for him.
Instead, though, for Polan, it was just the next chapter! He took it as a chance to change his life, and transformed his prescribed walks into literary missions: lugging piles of books from home to home.
Village by village, household by household, Polan literally walked knowledge to people’s doorsteps. He didn’t wait for eager readers to come to him; he had a mission to achieve! He brought books to them, earning himself a nickname. Pretty quickly, people started lovingly calling him the “Walking Library” or “Alor Ferrywala,” the peddler of light.
Lighting Up Rajshahi with Bookish Waves
It didn’t stop there, though. In 2008, the Rajshahi District Council actually built a library in the modest courtyard next to Polan’s house in Bousa. (Yes, the dream, right?)
After that, Polan pushed it even further. He set up five book distribution outposts across the region and worked hard to convince local shopkeepers and clinics to keep books in their stores.
The idea was that these storefronts would have books available for people to borrow and return, just like his little library, and just like the books he’d lent out at the high school.
By just pushing his love for reading and trying his best to offer books in as many places as possible, Polan created a decentralized reading network. What a man.
A Legacy That Walks On
In 2006, Polan found himself on national television. His spark and passion got noticed. He ended up on the popular TV show Ityadi, and it allowed the whole nation to catch wind of his incredible work.
A few years later, in recognition of Polan’s tireless work and contributions to his local area, the government honored him with the Ekushey Padak in 2011. The Padak is one of Bangladesh’s highest civilian awards, and is not given away lightly.
In 2016, Polan said that he would continue to work for as long as he could walk. When that day came, he continued to inspire people with his library.
Sadly, Polan passed away in March 2019 at the age of 98. He was surrounded by love and awe, and was even laid to rest next to his little library.
Thousands of people gathered to honor him in a heartfelt celebration of the man who carried books and dreams on his back his whole life. In response to the loss of Polan, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, said, “The nation has lost an avid social worker.”
Lessons From Polan
Polan Sarkar started with nothing but a heart full of stories and ended by building a movement.
He turned his walking prescription into a lifeline for whole villages, transforming abandoned books into carried-away friendships with knowledge.
He made us remember the importance of reading. He knew that there could be a world where, in education or not, books could fill every home. Where even those who gave up formal classrooms found opportunities to learn and grow.
But he also taught us the importance of community. Without him, without the shopkeepers who agreed to take on books, without the students who took books home to read, the projects would have failed.
People who were forced out of education would still have found literacy just out of reach. It took his spark, sure, but it took the whole community to make his mission a reality.
Likewise, today, in our communities, we can help people by coming together. If you want a mission like Polan’s, volunteer at your local library. Donate books to them, or take books out to book deserts and schools. Let Polan inspire you, and make it your goal to get more people to read.
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
