Published: 07:35 AM, 23 April 2025 Last Update: 12:12 PM, 23 April 2025
Singapore envoy donates 60 books to Bangladesh
Singapore High Commission's Charge D'Affaires Mitchel Lee, Second Secretary Dhanya Lingesh, Director, Department of Archives and National Library Ariful Haque and other officials and invited guests pose for a photograph on Tuesday at the end of a book donation ceremony. -AA
Charge D'Affaires of Singapore High Commission Mitchel Lee donated 60 (sixty) books on Singapore to Bangladesh ceremoniously at an event organized by the Department of Archives and National Library on Tuesday (22 April 2025). Mitchel Lee informed the audiences through his speech that Singapore donated particularly 60 books on Singapore to Bangladesh because Singapore is going to celebrate the 60th year of independence on 9 August 2025, which has been termed SG60.
Mitchel Lee admired the arrangement of Ekushey Book Fair in Bangladesh every year. He stated that Singapore organizes Singapore Writers Festival every year. Mitchel Lee quoted a few words from classic French novelist Victor Hugo "To learn to read is to light a fire. Every syllable that is spelled out is a spark". Mitchel Lee spoke very high of Bangladesh's strong reading and literary traditions. He expressed hope that the 60 books donated by Singapore will introduce Bangladeshi readers with the cultural heritage and literary legacy of Singapore. These 60 books include books on Singapore's history and biographies of esteemed leaders of Singapore such as Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore's first Foreign Minister S Rajaratnam. These 60 books from Singapore include fictional works too representing Singapore's multicultural and multi-religious make up, Mitchel Lee said.
One of these 60 books is about the cooking recipes of expatriate Bangladeshis working in Singapore, according to Mitchel Lee. Singapore High Commission's Second Secretary (Admin and Consular) Dhanya Lingesh joined the program too.
The event was presided over by Director of the Department of Archives and National Library Joint Secretary Ariful Haque. Deputy Director of the Department of Archives and National Library and Chief Bibliographer Md. Jamal Uddin attended the program too.
Mitchel Lee visited different sections of the Department of Archives and National Library with other officials and appreciated the collection of books and presence of readers.
