A 73-year-old man in Tangail has turned a room of his home into a remarkable private museum, preserving more than 300 vintage telephones, banknotes from 172 countries, rare coins and other historical artefacts.
Ismail Hossain Selim began collecting items as a schoolboy. His interest grew after he collected an autograph from renowned educationist and writer Ibrahim Kha during a school event. Since then, collecting rare and historic objects has become a lifelong passion.
Among the highlights of his collection is a banknote from Zimbabwe, widely recognized as one of the highest-denomination banknotes ever issued. His collection also includes more than 300 telephones dating from 1920 to 1990, including rotary, candlestick, marine, industrial, mining and PBX sets.
The telephones were manufactured in countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, the UK, the USA, Japan, Germany, China and South Korea.
Selim also has rare communication equipment, including an original Edison phonograph cylinder record from 1898, a phonograph replica, a 1934 British gramophone, a 1942 HMV gramophone, an 8mm Saint movie projector from 1940 and a German reel-to-reel tape recorder from 1960.
His collection further features autographs of internationally renowned personalities, including Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Diana, Kofi Annan, Boutros Ghali and Edmund Hillary.
Born in Tangail town in 1955, Selim retired as secretary of Tangail municipality in 2013. He has spent much of his savings and pension on collecting rare objects from home and abroad.
He said his main goal is to establish a permanent museum in Tangail so future generations can learn about the region’s history, heritage and technological evolution.
Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Shahin Mia praised the initiative, saying the administration would provide support where possible.
Selim hopes his private collection will eventually become a full-fledged museum accessible to the public.
