Mehdi Hasan Khan and his three friends-Rifat Nabi, Tanbin Islam Siam, and Shabab Mustafa-are set to receive the prestigious Ekushey Padak 2025 for their groundbreaking work in Bangla computing. Initially, only Mehdi was announced as the recipient, but he insisted that the entire Avro development team be honored.
"We are happy to announce that these four talented individuals, who defied the odds to revolutionize Bangla typing, will receive the Ekushey Padak as a group," said Cultural Advisor to the interim government, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. "They are coming from different parts of the world to accept this honor, and I am sure their journey will inspire many young people."
The Birth of Avro Keyboard
In 2003, while studying at Mymensingh Medical College, Mehdi Hasan Khan and his team developed Avro Keyboard, an open-source software supporting both Unicode and ANSI for Bangla writing. Its phonetic typing feature, allowing users to write Bengali using Romanized letters, made Bangla digital communication more accessible than ever.
Avro Keyboard was released on 26 March 2003 under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Initially built with Visual Basic and later rewritten in Delphi, its version 5.0.5 source code was made available under the MPL 1.1 license, solidifying its place as a pioneering open-source project in Bangla computing. With features like customizable keyboard layouts, real-time spell checking, dictionary integration, and cross-platform compatibility, Avro remains a widely used tool.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite its success, Avro faced legal disputes. On 4 April 2010, Mustafa Jabbar, creator of the proprietary Bijoy software, accused Avro of piracy, citing financial losses from a national project with the Bangladesh Election Commission. The allegation triggered widespread public support for Avro. The dispute, centering on Avro's UniBijoy layout, was resolved on 16 June 2010 when a settlement led to the layout's removal, and Jabbar acknowledged Avro's contributions.
Impact and Recognition
Mehdi Hasan Khan was previously awarded the BASIS Award in 2011. Now, the Ekushey Padak 2025 further cements his and his team's legacy in Bangla computing. Though trained as a medical professional, Mehdi's passion for technology and language preservation led to the creation of Avro Keyboard-a tool that continues to empower millions worldwide.
Avro's Lasting Influence
Avro Keyboard has set new standards in multilingual computing. Users can seamlessly switch between languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Arabic, without complex input methods. Its intuitive design enhances typing speed and accuracy, with built-in auto-correction and predictive text features ensuring error-free communication.
Customization options allow users to tailor the keyboard layout, adjust fonts, and create shortcuts, making Avro adaptable for professionals, students, and programmers alike. Regular updates and an active user community ensure continuous improvements, keeping the software relevant in an evolving digital landscape.
Avro Keyboard stands as a testament to Bangladeshi innovation, demonstrating how open-source technology can preserve language and drive accessibility. As its developers reunite to accept the Ekushey Padak, their work remains a powerful symbol of perseverance, collaboration, and the transformative power of technology.