First-Ever Bangla Wikiconference Brings Wikipedians Together in Bangladesh to Connect and Share Experiences

This month, I had the opportunity to attend the first-ever Bangla Wikiconference, held in Gazipur, Bangladesh, from November 15 to 16, as both a participant and a member of the organizing team. I volunteered as part of the operations and communications team. The conference was organized by Wikimedia Bangladesh.

Nearly 60 Bangla-speaking Wikimedians from South Asia (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal) gathered in Gazipur, including seven international participants.

I attended the event to connect with Wikimedians contributing to Bangla projects, to share and gather experiences, and to discuss new ideas, successes, and challenges related to Bangla projects. I presented two sessions, participated in a panel discussion, and awarded prizes for the Bangla Wikivoyage Article Contest 2024 at a side event during the conference. Additionally, I participated in the first Wikimedia hackathon in Bangladesh, where I developed and showcased a small project.

During the panel discussion, I explored the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of Large Language Models (LLMs) on Bangla Wikipedia. Some participants asked insightful questions following my presentation. One of my sessions focused on the future of recent-changes patrolling, emphasizing the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence for anti-vandalism efforts and future tools. In another session, I teamed up with Maruf to discuss a GA review drive.

At the conference, one participant reflected, “After attending this event, I found the answer to what the Wikimedia movement is and why I contribute to it.” Another participant, Mamunur Rashid, an AI researcher, remarked, “If you cut Wikipedia off from generative AIs, the AIs will go offline.” I learned a great deal from the knowledgeable discussions led by the speakers. I also attended a workshop on Wikidata Lexeme, discovering new tools I hadn’t encountered before.

As you can imagine, the two days of the conference were extremely busy. However, my busyness exceeded expectations! Each night after the main events, the organizers held meetings to review the day’s activities. Before dinner, we played football and basketball, followed by late-night chats. Most of our conversations centered around new ideas, the future of the Wikimedia movement, and various aspects of the Wikimedia ecosystem. Honestly, I felt I gained more insights and exchanged ideas more freely during these informal chats outside the main sessions.

This conference made me realize that the Bangla-speaking community is united, unbroken by borders. I left with renewed hope that the energy and dedication of our members can continue to support unity among Bangla speakers through volunteerism, knowledge sharing, and learning.

See more images of the event on Wikimedia Commons.