Computing in Bangla

Bangladesh, a language-driven country, loses much of its charm if the Bangla language is not present in computing.
The language of the computer is only '1' and '0'. Another technique of translating human language into machine (computer) language was needed, namely ASCII. Moreover, development of this technology did not take place at the same pace all over the world. People who developed the technology, they did it only in English as per their language by origin.
As computer use disseminated all over the world, people from different language backgrounds wanted to have the technology in their own language. So comes Unicode. It solved the local language problem in computer use and now any language has become readable in computers. As Unicode is a system that combines more than 65,000 signs (ASCII has only 256 signs), so all languages of the world and all of its symbols can be accommodated in Unicode (mapping).
This is how the Bangla language is now in computing. When mapping in Unicode for the Bangla language is defined, the computer recognises the language as symbols. And if any software is developed in Unicode, it will recognise the alphabet 'Ka' as symbol. That means if Unicode supports all Bangla writing processes in computers in Bangladesh, everyone will be able to see it.
As developers have assembled hundreds of elements, the barriers to computing in Bangla have come to an end. This does not only solve the Bangla writing problem in computers, but one can write e-mails, upload their Facebook status, develop websites, create calendars and send SMS in Bangla.
The operating system was also an obstacle to Bangla computing. Developers came up with an open source software and operating system, Linux. This open source software enables four types of freedom -- users can handle it as per their demand, the opportunity to view the source code and to edit as necessary, the chance of re-dissemination and to develop, distribution and to sell new software originated form it -- which were important for Bangla computing, based on this open source software.
The biggest open source project in Bangla is wikipedia -- http://bn.wikipedia.org. Bangladesh Open Source Network's (BDOSN) sister concern Bangla Wiki is leading in this regard, which already includes more than 15,000 literatures in wikipedia. This also helps the Bangla language's sustainability in the internet, though 80-90 percent of internet based jobs are done in English at this moment.
The demand for computing in Bangla comes to reality in 2004 with the help of hundreds of thousands of volunteers. The first Bangla version of Linux operating system 'Ankur' was made public through the internet. It also came to the market in CDs at the 2005 software fair.
Now all versions of Linux -- Fedora, Red Hat, Debian and the latest Ubuntu -- are enabled under the Bangla operating system. BDOSN (www.bdosn.org) started distribution of Ubuntu and Systec Publication started distribution of two versions of Bangla operating system 'Shraboni' of Ankur in the Ekushey Book Fair, which was a milestone for Bangla computing.
But the job of total transformation of these two operating systems in the Bangla language is not done yet.
However, Linux is now available with Bangla Office Suit (www.openoffice.org), web browsing in Bangla by Mozilla Firebox (www.mozilla.com), e-mail management in Bangla by Thunderbird (www.mozillamessanging.com/en-US/thunderbird), instant messenger pidgin (www.pidgin.im/), media player VLC (www.videolan.org/vlc/), media library, audio player and Game (for SMS).
Now the job of developing websites in Bangla is easy with Linux and Unicode based content management system 'Joomla'. Open blog platform Wordpress is also available for use in Bangla.
Another company, Ankur ICT Development Foundation (www.ankur.org.bd), adds few feathers in Bangla computing through Linux. It develops Pidgin (for internet chat in a single platform), VLC media player, Bangla word master - based on Unicode and combines over three lakh Bangla words, Genome desktop and Bangla operating system 'Hoimonti', based on Linux.
Munir Hasan, a consultant to the science and ICT ministry Hasan stressed the government is committed to perform all its computing needs in Bangla and it was also included in the ICT policy. He also said all web portals of all ministries will be done in Bangla by 2010 along with English.