DIGITALIZATION IN THE BANGLADESH NATIONAL MUSEUM

Jahangir Hussain Chairperson

ICOM Bangladesh National Committee

Curator, Asiatic Society Heritage Museum

Former Director (Keeper), Bangladesh National Museum

Bangladesh National Committee

BANGLADESH NATIONAL MUSEUM

• One of the largest museums in Asia

• Established in 1913 as Dhaka Museum

• In 1983 became Bangladesh National Museum

• Multidisciplinary, about 93,000 objects in its four curatorial departments

• 45 galleries within a floor space of nearly 22,000 sq. meter

• On a average about three thousand visitors every day

CURATORIAL DEPARTMENTS

i. The Department of History and Classical Art;

ii. The Department of Ethnography and Decorative Art;

iii. The Department of Contemporary Art and World Civilization; and

iv. The Department of Natural History.

Besides, there are two service departments, namely, the Conservation Laboratory and the Department of Public Education.

BRANCH MUSEUMS

1. Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala (Art Museum), Mymensingh 1975

2. Osmany Memorial Museum, Sylhet 1987

3. Ahsan Manzil Museum (a palace of the Nawabs of Dhaka), Dhaka 1992

4. Zia Memorial Museum, Chittagong 1993

5. Pallikabi Jasim Uddin Sangrahashala (Memorial Museum), Faridpur 2016

6. Kangal Harinath Memorial Museum, Kushtia 2017

FACILITIES

• Two auditoriums

• Two temporary exhibition halls

• A reference library containing about 40,000 books

DIGITALIZATION PROGRAMS Addition of digital component in the display galleries

Development of digital database of museum objects (including Library)

Web-services including virtual gallery, online ticket selling

Automation of different processes (including ticket selling)

Digital facilities for visitors (e.g. free Wi Fi)

Digital systems for object security

Building up appropriate and latest information technology set-up

Manpower for maintenance and uninterrupted services

BANGLADESH NATIONAL MUSEUM’S INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AND

DIGITALIZATION

A project to digitalize the documentation system in such a way that researchers and interested persons will have access electronically to each object with its photograph, description and other relevant information.

DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL DATABASE OF MUSEUM OBJECTS

• Following CIDOC guidelines and Getty Object Identification system

• Sixteen digits for object identification numbers

• Thirty-one identification fields including image of the object

• 16 digits ID number contains:

First two digits from left for the name of the museums

Third and fourth digits indicate the name of the departments

Fifth, sixth and seventh digits show the classification of the objects

Eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh digits indicate the year of accession

Twelfth to sixteenth digits show the Accession Numbers

ID NUMBERS OF THE MUSEUMS

01 Bangladesh National Museum

02 Osmany Museum

03 Ahsan Manzil Museum

04 Zia Memorial Museum

05 Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala

ID NUMBERS OF THE FOUR CURATORIAL DEPARTMENTS

01 Department of History and Classical Art

02 Department of Ethnography and Decorative Art

03 Department of Contemporary Art and World Civilization

04 Department of Natural History

CLASSIFICATION OF VARIOUS OBJECTS AND THEIR ID NUMBERS

History 001 – 021

Classical Art 026 – 033

Ethnography 051 – 052

Decorative Art / Folk Art 053 – 070

Contemporary Art 100 – 104

World Civilization 200 – 203

Natural History 401 – 403

EXAMPLE OF A 16-DIGIT ID NUMBER OF AN OBJECT

01 = Bangladesh National Museum

01 = Department of History and Classical Art

003 = Classification Number of Coin

2003 = Year of Accession

00198 = Accession Number of the Artifact

0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 0 3 0 0 1 9 8

SCULPTURE OF BANGABANDHU SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN FATHER OF THE NATION

SILVER COIN OF SULTAN GHIYASUDDIN NUSRAT SHAH

GOLD COIN OF GHIYASUDDIN MAHMUD SHAH

SURYA

FRAGMENT OF AN IMAGE PROBABLY OF LAKSMI

AN IMAGE OF VISNU

SURASUNDHARI

IVORY ELEPHANT

BEDSTEAD

HOOKAH (HUBBLE-BUBBLE)

FAMINE SKETCH BY SHILPACHARYA ZAINUL ABEDIN

THREE DAUGHTERS BY SHILPI QUAMRUL HASAN

FAMILY BY NOVERA AHMED

QUARTZ CRYSTALLINE

FEMALE ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN

MOUNTED ROYAL BENGAL TIGER

OTHER PROGRAMS & FACILITIES

• Digital components such as Kiosk (Touch Screen)

• Website and Virtual Gallery by Digital Directory

• Digital Archives

• Ticket system automation

• Interdepartmental documents exchange

• Activities on the social media

• Catalogues digitalized

FUTURE PROGRAM

• Interactive website

• Online ticketing

• Digital components in the galleries

• Online facilities in the DG’s lobby

• Online application system for students

• E-filing, HR management

• E-News letter

CONCLUSION

• Rightly acted by introducing the digital technologies

• Initiative with developed countries about the new innovative ideas and technologies

• Professional exchange and cooperation

• Innovative digitalization of this region

THANK YOU 谢谢