These rare manuscripts were collected and microfilmed since July 1984 under a project funded by Ford Foundation. Sources also said that about 50 manuscripts were earlier found missing.

Librarian of the Dhaka University Dr. Mohammad Serajul Islam, however, denied any microfilm damages and said, "Not a single microfilm of the library has been damaged."

"It is not necessary to keep the microfilms at a certain temperature," the librarian said and asked this reporter, "Who told you that the microfilms should be kept within the range of 18 to 22 degrees Celsius?"

Suraiya Begum, a teacher of information science and library management, told The Daily Star that the temperature of microfilms and manuscripts storage rooms should be within 18 to 22 degrees Celsius as the humidity in Bangladesh is high. "To protect the microfilms and hand-written puthis (manuscripts) properly, it is necessary to regularly clean the mildew that forms on them. Also needed are experts and trained officials to handle them."

The conditions of the microfilms and the microfilm reader are deteriorating as the section officials do not clean them properly, she said, adding that the microfilm and manuscript sections need proper maintenance.

"Do not disturb us often. You have to come here at the appropriate time. Why do you disturb us during lunch time?" the librarian asked this correspondent.

Sources said the librarian does not regularly come to office and does not look after the manuscripts and microfilms though he is the convenor of the manuscript committee. This correspondent also found the librarian to be absent most of the time in office.

"We informed the former and present librarian about the microfilms being damaged, but they did not take any steps to protect the microfilms," an official source said. "We need at least two trained persons to look after the microfilms properly," he added.

Officials alleged that the librarian has been harassing them and has asked them not to give any information to the press.

Shaman Hatley, a PhD student of Pennsylvania University USA, came to the library recently to do his research work. He told The Daily Star that the condition of some microfilms have deteriorated so much due to the high temperature that they cannot be read.

"I was searching for a newspaper's microfilm for hours but could not find it. It takes too much time to find the microfilmed manuscripts and newspapers as the indexing is haphazard," he said.

In a written rejoinder to the article "Macro-neglect to DU Microfilms" that appeared in The Daily Star on 18 June, the director of the public relations office of DU said news of damages to a significant number of manuscripts because of neglect is completely baseless. A few microfilms have been partially damaged by the weather but the originals have been well preserved and are being microfilmed again.