Lavić, Đonlagić and Begić on NUB BiH: If the authorities do nothing, it is clear they are deliberately extinguishing the publishing industry in BiH

(Patria) - Senadin Lavić, Dženan Đonlagić and Zlatan Begić, professors at the University of Sarajevo and the University of Tuzla, give full support to all employees of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUB BiH) in their struggle to preserve the institution and its future work.

"The irresponsibility and arrogance of the current authorities towards the difficult situation in the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unacceptable. For all those irresponsible and uninformed in the structures of power, it should be emphasized that NUB BiH is one of the top symbols of the state and the system of education and general literacy.

The Council of Ministers of BiH bears full responsibility not only for NUB BiH but also for all institutions of science and culture of importance to the state.

NUB BiH is a strategically important institution for all universities and the publishing industry throughout the country. We call on the Council of Ministers of BiH to urgently make an appropriate decision. The ministers currently in power have a legal obligation to protect this national monument and its special collections," the professors stated.

Furthermore, they emphasize that nothing prevents the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Nermin Nikšić, from securing adequate funds for the functioning of the National and University Library of BiH.

"NUB BiH will not become any less of a state institution because the government of the entity that is realistically more interested in the functioning of NUB BiH provides the necessary funds for it, as was the case before.

If both the Council of Ministers and the Government of the Federation of BiH ignore all of the above, no other conclusion can be drawn except that the Tripartite authorities are deliberately obstructing not only the work of the National and University Library but also intend to eliminate the possibility of publishing books in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and are directing and delivering the academic public into the hands of Zagreb and Belgrade, where they can publish their works.

If the Tripartite authorities do not secure the necessary funds, it will mean they have decided on a criminal move, i.e., the abolition of a kind of unique identification number in science, education, and culture, whereby each of these disciplines is doomed to extinction.

Therefore, as university workers, we call on the current authorities to urgently resolve this problem, which is neither technical nor financial but exclusively political in nature," they conclude in their statement.