Central Public Library, Public library in Shahbag, Bangladesh

Central Public Library is a public library in Shahbag that holds over 119,000 books in Bengali, English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, and Persian languages. The building includes reading areas and an auditorium for hosting cultural programs and events.

The foundation stone of the Dhaka Central Public Library was laid in 1954, and it opened to the public on 22 March 1958 with 10,040 books. In 1978 it moved from its original building, designed by architect Mazharul Islam, to its present site near Shahbag Intersection. UNESCO contributed nearly 9.9 million taka between 1980 and 1985.

The library is named after the writer Begum Sufia Kamal; a 2004 renaming to "Central Public Library" drew protests and was reversed in 2010. Its Shawkat Osman Auditorium hosts events such as the International Short and Independent Film Festival.

The library is open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM and offers borrowing services to visitors. It closes on Fridays and national holidays, so plan your visit accordingly.

In July 2003 the library began a 24-hour reading service, but it was stopped on 1 March 2004 because drug users were taking advantage of the night hours. The library also keeps a small collection of 40 to 50 manuscript titles for research and reference.