The Wikimedia community in Bangladesh and beyond celebrates a historic achievement as Shabab Mustafa, President of Wikimedia Bangladesh, and Tanbin Islam Siyam, an Executive Committee member, receive Bangladesh’s second-highest civilian honor, the Ekushey Padak. They, along with the Avro Keyboard team—led by Mehedi Hasan Khan and including notable contributors such as Rifat Nabi—were recognized for their immense contribution to the development of Avro Keyboard, a revolutionary open-source software that transformed Bangla typing.
Recognizing a Landmark Achievement
Ekushey Padak is one of the most prestigious awards in Bangladesh, given to individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to the country’s language, literature, science, technology, and other fields. The Avro Keyboard team’s honor highlights their pioneering work in facilitating Bangla computing, making it easier for millions to write in their native language digitally.
For decades, typing in Bangla remained a challenge due to a lack of accessible and user-friendly software. The Avro team’s dedication led to the development of Avro Keyboard, the first free and fully Unicode-compliant Bangla writing software, which has now become a standard tool for Bangla typing. Their work has significantly contributed to digital literacy, online content creation, and preservation of the Bangla language on the internet.
About the Awardees
Mehedi Hasan Khan – The visionary behind Avro Keyboard, Mehedi Hasan Khan played a pivotal role in its creation and open-source development, ensuring that Bangla speakers worldwide had free access to quality typing tools.
Shabab Mustafa – As President of Wikimedia Bangladesh, Shabab Mustafa has been a crucial advocate for open knowledge and digital accessibility, promoting free resources and open-source contributions across various platforms.;
Tanbin Islam Siyam – A prominent Wikimedian and advocate for open knowledge, Siyam’s work in Wikimedia Bangladesh and his dedication to digital accessibility have made a lasting impact on the Bangladeshi online community.
Rifat Nabi – Another key contributor, Nabi has worked extensively on Bangla language processing, strengthening Avro Keyboard’s role in digital communication.
A Proud Moment for the Wikimedia Community
This award is not just a recognition of technological innovation but also a testament to the power of open knowledge and free software. Shabab Mustafa and Tanbin Islam Siyam’s journeys as Wikimedians align seamlessly with Avro Keyboard’s mission—empowering people through accessible digital tools and ensuring language preservation in the digital era. Their achievement inspires fellow Wikimedians and the broader open-source community to continue their invaluable contributions to knowledge and technology.
On behalf of the Wikimedia movement, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Shabab Mustafa, Siyam, and the entire Avro team for this well-deserved honor. Their dedication to open-source software and Bangla computing continues to shape the future of digital literacy and language accessibility in Bangladesh and beyond.
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