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'Banglapedia' is the national encyclopedia of Bangladesh, available in print, in CD-ROM format and online. It is written both in Bangla and in English.^[4] Its chief editor is Sirajul Islam^[5][6] and is published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.^[7] It is planned to be updated every two years.^[8] It is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia.^[9]

Contents

Overview

Content

Editors and officials

Future projects

Criticism

Similar projects by the Bangladesh government

Footnotes and references

External links

Overview

Banglapedia is a ten-volume reference work took up by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in 1998. The goal of this reference tool is to inquire, interpret and integrate the lived experiences and achievements of the people of Bangladesh from ancient times to date.^[10] More than 6000 entries were contributed by over 1200 writers and specialists. The project was at a cost of BDT 80 million, to which UNESCO made a contribution under the participation programme through Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO.^[11]
The project, conceptually and territorially, interprets the term ''Bangladesh'' to mean successively ancient Eastern India, Suba Bangla, Shahi Bangalah, Mughal Suba Bangla, Bengal Presidency, Bengal Province, East Bengal, East Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Content

'Vidyakalpadruma': an encyclopaedic work in 13 parts by Reverend Krishna Mohan Banerjee, based on various English and Sanskrit anthologies and other source books. As it was written in Bangla and English, it was named ''Encyclopedia Bengaliansis''. Articles on history, geography, mathematics and ethics related to Asia, Europe and America are included. The first volume of the ''Vidyakalpadruma'' (1845) was ''Roman Rajyer Purabritta'' (History of the Roman Empire). The third volume was ''Purabritta O Itihas Sar'' (Historical Antiquities), and it contained tales of ancient Egyptian heroes. The fourth volume (1846) was a history of Rome and the sixth volume (1847) a history of Egypt. The eighth volume, ''Bhugol Brittanta'' (Geographical Narratives), contained the geography of Asia and Europe. Krishna Mohan hoped to write the history of India, but was unable to do so.

Banglapedia entry on Vidyakalpadruma (excerpt)

Banglapedia entries are compiled and edited in six different editorial categories, namely, arts and humanities, history and heritage, state and governance, society and economy, natural sciences and biological sciences, in addition to a gazetteer group focusing on districts and upazilas.
It covers, on the physical plane, the rise of the Bengal Delta, and its evolution to date. Attention has been given, on the human plane, to the changing features of the formation of the delta's ''janapada'' or human settlements. That includes the rise and fall of kingdoms, invasions from within and beyond and their implications, dynastic rules and administration, as well as other aspects of Bangladesh's past and present.
Extensive coverage has been given to political geography, religion, literature, art and architecture, folk practices and institutions, indigenous and colonial administration, politics, society, economy, ethnicity, and the sciences.
Over 2000 single and four-colour illustrations depict Bangladesh art and architecture, everyday life, cities and villages and personages.^[12][13][14] It has about 2100 cross-references, cartographic information, tables and statistics.⁸ It is laid out in alphabetical order and is prefaced by an essay by the Chief Editor. There is a section explaining how to use the Banglapedia, which clarifies issues such as date systems, contributors, cross references, and headings.^[15]

Editors and officials

The 1200 contributors are mostly university teachers and academicians both at home and abroad, specialists in districts and upazilas for locality inputs, and people from professions and occupations. District and upazila cartography has been processed at the GIS and cartographic laboratory set up for the Banglapedia.^[16]

★ 'Chairman:' Professor Sirajul Islam, ''Department of History, Dhaka University''

★ 'Convenor:' Professor Sajahan Miah, ''Department of Philosophy, Dhaka University''

★ 'Chairman, Project Implementation Committee:' Professor M. Aminul Islam

★ 'Chairman, Publication Committee:' Professor Abdul Momin Chowdhury

★ 'Convenor, Purchase and Procurement Committee:' Professor S M Mahfuzur Rahman

★ 'Chairman, Cartography Committee:' Professor M. Aminul Islam

★ 'Chairman, Fund Management Committee:' Professor M. Aminul Islam

★ 'Convenor, Public Relations and Communication Committee:' Shahida Alam

★ 'Chairman, Multimedia Committee:' Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury

Future projects

The following are some of the future projects of Banglapedia Trust^[17][18]:

★ 'Cultural Survey of Bangladesh:' Scheduled publication date- December 2007; projected number of volumes- 12; Editor in Chief- Professor Sirajul Islam^[19]

★ 'Encyclopaedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh:' Scheduled publication date- August 2009; projected number of volumes- 28; Editor in Chief- Kamal Uddin Siddiqui

★ 'Junior Banglapedia:' Scheduled publication date- February 2008; projected number of volumes- 3; Editor in Chief- Professor Sirajul Islam

★ 'Digitisation of the Cadastral Survey and Settlement Records (1900–1925):' projected number of volumes-28

★ 'Parliamentary History of Bangladesh (1861 to date):' projected number of volumes- 3

★ 'Digest of the Surveys of Mineral Resources in Bangladesh:' projected number of volumes- 2

★ 'Online National Biography Project'^[20]

Criticism

A study by BDNews24.com, a news portal, claims that Banglapedia has biased and incorrect views on the indigenous population of Bangladesh.^[21] Leaders of the indigenous community, including Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council member and Jana Sanghati Samiti leader Rupayan Dewan, has endorsed the findings of that study.^[22] Editor in Chief Professor Islam acknowledged the complain and promised to amend it in the second edition.

Similar projects by the Bangladesh government

Mosaic in Green A 160-page photographic encyclopedia showcasing the natural history, culture and landscape of Bangladesh, created by the Ministry of Information, People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Footnotes and references

1. Compilation of Banglapedia completed SDNP General News
2. Banglapedia on CD-Rom to hit market by February The New Age, 2004-01-02. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
3. Banglapedia intute: Arts and humanities. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
4. The case for Bangladesh Studies Iftekhar Iqbal
5. Banglapedia Board of Editors
6. Professor Sirajul Islam: Making history Mubin S Khan
7. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
8. Banglapedia edition every 2 years Abu Jar M Akkas
9. The first Bangladeshi Encyclopedia Weekly Holiday, 2006-07-02. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
10. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, , Sirajul, Islam, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, ,
11. Banglapedia
12. Banglapedia on Vedam Books
13. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (In 10 Volumes)
14. Banglapedia on Half Value
15. How to Use the Banglapedia
16. Asiatic Society to celebrate journal’s golden jubilee Feb 11 The New Age, 2006-02-10. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
17. Asiatic Society to award M Phil, PhD degrees Staff Correspondent
18. Asiatic Society takes up 4 more projects Staff Correspondent
19. Encyclopaedia on Bangladesh culture in the making Bdnews24.com.Dhaka
20. Banglapedia works on online biography Staff Correspondent
21. BDNews24.com: Study on Banglapedia
22. Wrong info on ethnic groups in Banglapedia BDNews24

External links

★ Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

★ Banglapedia search

★ ''Dot Org''

★ ''Dot Net''

★ ''Dot Info''

★ Banglapedia Board of Editors

★ Banglapedia contributors