Bangla Wikipedia: A Free Store of Knowledge in Our Own Language

In the information age knowledge sits in the palm of your hand. But knowledge that is not in your mother tongue is not equally useful to everyone. That is precisely where Bangla Wikipedia matters — a platform where people build knowledge in Bengali together and give it away freely.

From the beginning to now

Bangla Wikipedia began in 2004 as the quiet work of a small number of dedicated editors. Today it has grown into a broad reference work holding more than 160,000 articles. Science, history, literature, religion, technology and much else can now be read in Bengali at a standard that stands up internationally.

Why does Bangla Wikipedia matter?

English Wikipedia is popular the world over, but many people in our country are still not comfortable reading or writing in English. Bangla Wikipedia removes that barrier and gives people the chance to find information in their own language. At the same time it plays an important part in preserving our culture, our history and our identity.

Who builds it?

Behind Bangla Wikipedia stands a body of volunteers who write articles, edit them, check facts and help newcomers, all without payment. Some are students, some teachers, some technologists. The project moves forward on their combined effort.

New editors are encouraged through edit-a-thons, training workshops and photography contests. Wikimedia Bangladesh and other Wikipedia user groups organise events of this kind.

Challenges and possibilities

Bangla Wikipedia has come a long way, but the road is not entirely smooth. The number of editors is comparatively small, reliable Bengali sources are scarce on many subjects, and its use in education is still limited. Each of those is also an opportunity. With proper outreach, a place in schools and universities, and technical support, Bangla Wikipedia can grow richer still.

How can you help?

You can start contributing to Bangla Wikipedia today. Small edits, spelling corrections, adding a reference, or writing a new article — all of it counts. If you have expertise in a subject, you can share that knowledge with everyone else.

Go to https://bn.wikipedia.org, create an account, and begin this rewarding journey.

Let us build a richer Bangla Wikipedia together — one edit at a time.