Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

What Asiatic Society of Bangladesh does

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (ASB) is a non-profit learned society established in 1952 and headquartered at 5, Old Secretariat Road, Nimtali, Ramna, Dhaka-1000. It functions as Bangladesh's premier scholarly institution, serving scholars, researchers, and academics both domestically and internationally through a portfolio of programs centered on research, publication, and academic discourse. Core offerings include ASB Publications (approximately 252 books across multiple series), peer-reviewed ASB Journals in Science, Humanities, and Bangla disciplines, a research library holding over 23,000 collections, and 49 trust funds that finance lectures, seminars, workshops, and research grants across a wide disciplinary range including history, education, economics, ecology, and women's empowerment. The society also operates physical facilities — an auditorium, gallery, and guest room — for hosting scholarly events.

ASB's business model relies on membership fees (with 1,200+ members including Fellows and Honorary Members), publication sales through its own sales platform, and endowment income from donor-established trust funds. Its distribution is overwhelmingly domestic (Bangladesh), with events broadcast via Zoom and YouTube for limited virtual reach. Governance is exercised through an elected Council led by a General Secretary (currently Professor Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan), with leadership rotating on multi-year cycles (2022-2023, 2024-2025, and a forthcoming 2026-2027 term). Technology infrastructure is minimal: a WordPress website (asiaticsociety.org.bd), a YouTube channel, and Zoom for virtual lectures — there is no disclosed API, mobile app, or proprietary technology platform.

The society's strategic posture is one of stewardship and continuity rather than growth or disruption. Recent activity is characterized by incremental endowment expansion (the 49th trust fund established May 2025), activation of new memorial lecture series (e.g., Surendranath Das and Vajasundari Das Memorial Trust Fund inaugural lecture on 7 May 2026), and the institutional rhythm of annual foundation day observances and council elections. Related resources on its website — Banglapedia, the Asiatic Society Heritage Museum, the Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of Liberation, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and Bangabhaban — point to informal affiliations rather than formal commercial partnerships.

Name

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

Legal name

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

Website

https://asiaticsociety.org.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non-profit learned society founded in 1952 in Dhaka that serves scholars and researchers through academic publishing (252+ titles), a 23,000+ item library, peer-reviewed journals, and 49 trust-funded lecture and research programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic and Scholarly Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE), Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Academic publishing
• Scholarly research
• Learned society
• Library services
• Cultural heritage

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a learned society that publishes scholarly books and peer-reviewed journals, maintains a research library of over 23,000 collections, administers 49 trust funds that finance lectures, seminars, workshops and research grants, and hosts scholarly events in its Dhaka auditorium for its membership of 1,200+ scholars and researchers.

Product overview

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh operates as a learned society offering a unified portfolio of scholarly products and services centered around academic publishing, research support, and knowledge dissemination. The core offerings include ASB Publications (books and series publications with approximately 252 titles), ASB Journals (peer-reviewed journals in Science, Humanities, and Bangla), an ASB Library (with 23,000+ collections), and 49 Trust Funds supporting lectures, seminars, workshops, and research grants. Additional services include venue facilities (auditorium, gallery, guest room) for hosting scholarly events, and newsletter publications. The society functions primarily as an academic and cultural institution rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASB Publications Academic publishing program that receives research works from members, non-members, local and foreign scholars, producing around 252 books including different series publications. Targeted at scholars, researchers, and academic institutions.
• ASB Journals Peer-reviewed academic journals covering Science, Humanities, and Bangla disciplines, published regularly by the society. Targeted at academic researchers, faculty, and scholarly readers.
• ASB Library Research library with over 23,000 collection items supporting scholarly research across various disciplines, available to members and visiting scholars.
• ASB Trust Funds 49 trust funds supporting various scholarly activities including lectures, seminars, workshops, and research grants across disciplines including history, education, economy, poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, science, technology, zoology, and ecology.
• Auditorium, Gallery, and Guest Room Facilities Event venues (auditorium, gallery) and accommodation (guest room) facilities available for scholarly gatherings, lectures, exhibitions, and visiting researchers at the Society's Dhaka campus.
• Newsletters Periodic newsletter publications keeping Society members informed about activities, events, and scholarly developments.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• BanglapediaminorOthersRelated online encyclopedia resource linked on the ASB website
• Asiatic Society Heritage MuseummoderateOthersAffiliated heritage museum organization that holds its own foundation day celebrations and programs at ASB
• Encyclopedia of Bangladesh War of LiberationminorOthersRelated online resource linked on the ASB website for historical research
• Ministry of Cultural Affairs (Bangladesh)minorOthersGovernment ministry linked as a related resource on the ASB website
• Bangabhaban (President Office)minorOthersPresidential office linked as a related resource on the ASB website

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bangla Academy: Bangladesh's national language academy performing parallel learned-society functions in research, publishing (including Banglapedia), and cultural programming, with overlapping Dhaka footprint and audience.
• Bangladesh Academy of Sciences: National learned society in Bangladesh focused on scientific research promotion, publishing, and fellowships; directly comparable as a membership-based scholarly organization serving Bangladeshi researchers.
• American Oriental Society: Learned society dedicated to Asian and Middle Eastern studies with a peer-reviewed journal, monograph series, and annual meeting; directly comparable as a scholarly society in Oriental/Asian humanities and sciences.
• Asiatic Society of Mumbai: One of the oldest learned societies in Asia (founded 1804), operating a comparable portfolio of scholarly publishing, library services, lectures, and trust-funded activities. The closest direct analogue in scope and mission.
• Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: Historic British learned society promoting research on Asia and the Middle East; similar combination of library, journal publication, lectures, and fellowship programs, and direct historical kinship to the Asiatic Society lineage.
• Asiatic Society (Kolkata): Historical parent organization from which several Asian 'Asiatic Societies' descended; publishes journals, maintains a major research library, and convenes scholarly lectures in humanities and sciences.

Others

• National Library of Bangladesh: National library institution preserving Bangladesh's documentary heritage; complementary rather than competitive, sharing the library-access mission and potential cross-referral audience.

Broad incumbents

• Indian National Science Academy: Larger, established apex scientific learned society in South Asia with publishing, fellowships, and grants programs. Overlaps with ASB's scientific publishing and trust-fund research support.
• Royal Society: Premier global learned society with publishing, fellowships, and research grants; broadly incumbent in the academic learned-society space with far greater scale and international reach.

Regional players

• Pakistan Academy of Sciences: South Asian peer learned society based in Pakistan, with comparable portfolio of scientific publications, fellowships, and conferences but operating in a different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCu10d9F4kLua8QnJlandFDA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asiatic-society-of-bangladesh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Asiatic Society of Bangladesh