ABOUT HERITAGE
Preserving Bangladesh’s memory since 2002
Heritage is an independent archive preserving documents, photographs, journals, magazines, local history books, and digital materials. Focused on the post-colonial period (1947 onward), it highlights the voices of civil society while also including important records from state institutions. Heritage is committed to creating an open, user-friendly, and service-oriented archival space in Bangladesh.
DR. MD. MAHBUBAR RAHMAN
Dr. Md. Mahbubar Rahman, a retired professor from the Department of History at Rajshahi University, envisioned the need for a dedicated archive to support researchers and scholars. During his PhD journey, he recognized the absence of accessible resources for historical research in Bangladesh. Driven by this vision, he began collecting valuable materials in 2002 and officially established Heritage Archives on March 23, 2002.
Collections
Heritage Archives holds a vast and diverse collection of rare materials that capture the rich cultural, political, and social history of Bangladesh. The archive houses over 30,000 periodicals, little magazines, and research journals across 3,095 titles, along with approximately 5,200 posters and 5,000 leaflets. It includes around 10,000 books covering all 64 districts of Bangladesh, along with memoirs, commemorative publications, and works on tribal communities and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The collection features 471 MPhil and PhD theses, and over 3,200 biographies. Additionally, more than 1,200 books on Bangladesh’s history and heritage, and over 500 works of political literature, are preserved within the archive.
Catalogue List of Heritage
Key Information
Research Opportunity
At present, the Heritage Archives is open from 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM. Up to three researchers can work simultaneously in the facility.
Due to financial limitations, the Archives offer only basic amenities for researchers. However, there are two guest rooms available exclusively for researchers, where they may stay overnight strictly for research purposes.
Visiting Opportunity
Anyone is welcome to visit the Heritage Archives, whether for research or general interest. The Archives are typically open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and remain closed on Fridays. However, visits can be arranged outside regular hours for special reasons.
Please note: To ensure availability, kindly make an appointment by phone before your visit.
Visitor's Thoughts
...Heritage has been a unique endeavour from the start, but it has now blossomed into a depository that is attracting more and more donations from around the country ... For a researcher, it is a joy to be here ...
Contribute to the Archive
We’re always looking to expand our archive with meaningful materials — documents, photographs, leaflets, journals, posters, and more. If you have something that captures Bangladesh’s cultural, political, or social story, we’d love to hear from you