Seminar on UNESCO's 'Memory of the World' programme held in Dhaka
The Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO (BNCU) organised a seminar titled “UNESCO Memory of the World and Identification and Preservation of Bangladesh’s Documentary Heritage: Prospects, Challenges and Future Action Plans” today, Tuesday, 16 June 2026, reports a press release. The event took place at the International Conference Room of the International Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
The seminar was chaired by Subvina Monir Chithi, deputy secretary general of BNCU, and inaugurated by Md Shahjahan Miah, additional secretary (admin and finance), Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education, who attended as the chief guest. Professor Kazi Md Mostafizur Rahman from the Department of Islamic History and Culture at Rajshahi University presented the keynote paper.
Distinguished discussants included Professor Md Ziaur Rahman, of the Department of Music, University of Dhaka, and Md Shariful Islam (popularly known as Simon Zakaria), deputy director, research division, Bangla Academy.
The seminar brought together cultural activists, independent researchers, heritage activists, and representatives from key national institutions, including the Bangla Academy, National Library, National Museum, Film Archive, Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, Nazrul Institute, and the UNESCO Dhaka Office.
In his keynote paper, Professor Kazi Md Mostafizur Rahman divided his presentation into four critical thematic areas: 1.The global context of the Memory of the World and documentary heritage; 2. Identification and preservation of Bangladesh's documentary heritage: potential and repositories; 3. UNESCO criteria and evaluation methodologies; and, 4.Challenges and strategic action plans.
Based on UNESCO guidelines and his personal expertise, he put forward several specific proposals for safeguarding heritage.
The chief guest, Md Shahjahan Miah, emphasised how history serves as a source of courage during national crises. He called for a coordinated national initiative involving both public and private sectors to preserve the country's documentary heritage.
Md Ziaur Rahman observed that while there is no dearth of passion regarding local heritage, significant methodological gaps remain in its preservation. Drawing comparisons with global ethnographic museums, he noted that many of Bangladesh's invaluable assets have not yet been presented or displayed effectively.
He also advocated for the positive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in digitization and archiving with patriotism and care, rather than letting technology slide into chaos.
Md Shariful Islam shared his personal involvement with "Living Heritage" and emphasised the critical need to preserve Bangladesh’s documentary materials by drawing comparisons between the Bangladesh National Museum and other international museums.
An open floor discussion saw spontaneous participation from several experts who shared well-thought-out feedback and policy recommendations. Notable participants included: Iliya Sumana, joint secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs; Professor Masood Imran Mannu, Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University; Sahidul Hasan, associate professor, Department of History, University of Dhaka, Asma Ferdousi, Bangladesh National Museum, Kizzy Tahnin, Programme Officer for Culture, UNESCO Dhaka Office including many other distinguished professionals.
During this session, Professor Masaud Imran Mannu emphasised creating distinct policy frameworks tailored to different regions and categories of heritage. The speakers collectively highlighted several urgent actions, including:
Formulating a national policy and establishing a "Common Hub".
An integrated committee to bring all heritage organisations under a single platform.
State recognition and financial incentives for private and independent researchers' archiving efforts.
Enhancing the role of official record-keeping agencies.
Creating a cohesive, action-oriented plan aligned with the UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’ guidelines.
The seminar concluded with a unanimous call to strengthen both national and international cooperation to identify, preserve, and secure accessibility to Bangladesh’s invaluable documentary heritage for future generations.