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Banglapedia

February 02, 2023

Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia.[1] It is available in print, CD-ROM format and online,[2] in both Bengali and English.[3] The print version comprises fourteen 500-page volumes. The first edition was published in January 2003 in ten volumes by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh,[4] with a plan to update it every two years.[5] The second edition was issued in 2012 in fourteen volumes.[6]

Banglapedia
National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh
Editor
Original titleবাংলাপিডিয়া
TranslatorVarious
CountryBangladesh
LanguageBengali, English
SubjectVarious
GenreEncyclopedia
PublisherBanglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
Publication date
January 2003
Media typePrint (hardcover), CD-ROM, Online
Pages14 Volumes
ISBN984-32-0576-6
OCLC52727562
Original text
বাংলাপিডিয়া online
Websiteen.banglapedia.org

Banglapedia was not designed as a general encyclopedia but as a specialized encyclopedia on Bangladesh-related topics.[7] For the encyclopedia's purposes, Bangladesh is defined as the territory comprising ancient Eastern India, Bengal Sultanate, Bengal Subah, Bengal Presidency, East Bengal, East Pakistan, and the independent Bangladesh, in historical succession.[5][8]

The encyclopedia's chief editor is Sirajul Islam.[9] Over 1450 writers and specialists in Bangladesh and abroad helped create the entries.[4][5] Banglapedia has over 5,700 entries in six editorial categories,[2] each of which is overseen by an expert editor,[4][5][8] as well as over 2,000 single and four-colour illustrations and 2,100 cross-references.[4][5]

The project was funded by the Bangladeshi government, private sector organizations, academic institutes and UNESCO.[4][7] Though its original budget was 800,000 taka (roughly US$10,000), the Asiatic Society eventually spent 80 million taka (roughly US$1 million) on the project.[1][4][9] Despite controversies over entries on the Bangladesh Liberation War and indigenous people, both the Bengali and English versions became popular upon publication.[5]

Development

The Banglapedia project originated when the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was working on a three-volume study titled History of Bangladesh, 1704-1971 in 1991. The editors felt the need for a standard desk reference, as that project progressed laboriously, culling facts from various libraries. The idea finally led to a concept paper prepared by Sirajul Islam and his colleagues and submitted to the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in early 1994. The Banglapedia project was formally adopted on 19 February 1997, and Islam was appointed project director and chief editor. As the head of the Project Implementation Committee, his task was to plan and manage the project funding.[7] In 1996, some three dozen committees were formed with three to four people in each committee to recommend the entries. Twenty-seven thousand entries were proposed, requiring a 20-volume compendium. Because of financial constraints, the number of entries was cut down to around 6,000.[9] The project officially took off in 1998.[7]

When the project began, the Society had only eight hundred thousand taka in its coffers for the project. Banglapedia raised further contributions from universities, banks, multinational companies, international organisations and even private individuals.[9] A pool of agencies, including UNESCO, the University Grants Commission, universities, financial institutions and NGOs initially financed the project, which was completed at a cost of taka 80 million.[1][4] Education Ministry funded about 74% of the cost,[4] while 26% of the fund came mostly from universities and banks.[7] Before direct sales started on 3 January 2003, 4,000 copies of the English version and all but 250 copies of the Bengali version were sold in advance out of the initial print of 5,000 copies for each versions.[5] For an additional run of 10,000 prints people waited in queues outside the Asiatic Society office on the day of the release, and sales continued until 9:30 in the evening. A total of 4,500 sets of the Bengali version and 2,500 of the English version were sold on the day of release.[7]

History of Bengali-language encyclopedias

The first attempt to compile a Bengali encyclopedia was undertaken by Felix Carey (1786–1822), who was the son of Reverend William Carey (1761–1834) of Serampore and the first lexicographer of the Burmese language. In 1819, he began the translation of the fifth edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, naming it Vidyarthabali. From October 1819 till November 1820 the book was printed by Felix Carey every month in 48-page installments. Thus completed, the first part of Vidyarthabali was compiled into the 638-page Vyabachchedvidya, the first book on anatomy and surgery in Bengali. Work on the second part, Smritishastra, which was largely on jurisprudence, then began. But Carey died after only two 40-page installments were printed in February and March 1821.[10]

It was followed by Maharaja Kalikirshna Dev Bahadur's (1808–1974) Sankshipta Sadvidyabali (1833), a concise encyclopedia. Then came Raja Radhakanta Deb's Sabdakalpadrum (1822–1858), a Sanskrit encyclopedic dictionary in eight parts. Next was Rajkrishna Ray (1849–1894) and Saratchandra Dev's (1858-unknown) joint work Bharatkosh, the first Bengali encyclopedia laid-out in alphabetical order (1880–1892) published in three volumes. Reverend Krishna Mohan Banerjee's (1813–1885) adaptation of Encyclopædia Britannica, Vidyakalpadruma or Encyclopædia Bengalensis (1846–51), and the 22-volume Bangla Visvakosh (1886–1911), edited by Nagendranath Basu (1866–1938) with contributions from many major personalities of contemporary Bengal, were published next.[8][10]

After the independence of Pakistan and the partition of Bengal in 1947, there have been more attempts to compile and publish an encyclopedia. The first was a project to produce a Bengali adaptation of Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia by Franklin Book Programs Inc., undertaken in 1959 and aborted ten years later. The unfinished papers were compiled into four unequal volumes as Bangla Vishvakosh (1972) with Khan Bahadur Abdul Hakim as the chief editor.[8] After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, three specialized encyclopedias were published - the multi-volume Islami Bishwakosh (Encyclopedia of Islam, 1986) by Islamic Foundation Bangladesh,[11] 5-volume Shishu-Biswakosh (Encyclopedia for Children, 1995) by Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and 4-volume Vijnan Biswakosh (Encyclopedia of Science, 1998) by Bangla Academy.[12]

Content

Vidyakalpadruma: an encyclopedic 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 Bengali 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.
Sample text (excerpt) from Banglapedia: entry on Vidyakalpadruma

Banglapedia contains over 5,700 entries,[2] which are divided into six categories: arts and humanities, history and heritage, state and governance, society and economy, natural sciences, and biological sciences. The writing of each article was overseen by an expert editor.[4][5]

Banglapedia was not designed as a general encyclopedia. Its purpose is to provide a standard desk reference for Bangladeshis, as well as for people interested in Bangladesh, Bengali-speaking people, and related political, cultural and geographical contexts.[7]

The encyclopedia's editors intended to cover the rise of the Bengal Delta on the physical plane, and its evolution to date, and the changing features of the formation of the delta's janapada or human settlements on the human plane. The latter 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.[8] Entries on topics after 1947 are restricted to the geographical region of Bangladesh. However, for biographical entries, the linguistic identity prevails.[7]

The range of topics covered by Banglapedia includes political geography, religion, literature, art and architecture, folk practices and institutions, indigenous and colonial administration, politics, society, economy, ethnicity, and the sciences.[7][13] All 64 districts of Bangladesh, as well as 451 upazilas, have been described in details ranging from topographical accounts to the number of dairy farms and hatcheries.[7] Over 2,000 single- and four-colour illustrations depict Bangladeshi art and architecture, everyday life, cities and villages and personages.[4] It has about 2,100 cross-references, cartographic information, tables and statistics.[5] 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.[8][14]

Operational definition of Bangladesh

According to the publisher, 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 the present.[8] The project, conceptually and territorially, interprets the term "Bangladesh" to mean successively ancient Eastern India, the Bengal Sultanate, Bengal Subah, Bengal Presidency, East Bengal, East Pakistan, and Bangladesh.[4][5] The editor's preface states:

From ancient times to 1971, the political geography of the region has changed often, and with that its name has also undergone changes. The cognates of Vanga, Bangalah, Vangla, Bengal, Vangadesh, Vangladesh, etc. have the closest affinity both territorially and linguistically with the term Bangla. With the rise of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation state, the term has no doubt obtained a specific meaning. It may be noted here that the term Bangalah or Bengala, from which Bangla and Bengal originated, was coined and circulated by Muslim rulers whose seats of administration were located mostly within the present territory of Bangladesh.[8]

Working team

Over 1,200 writers and specialists contributed to the encyclopedia, one fifth of whom were foreign experts in Bangladesh or experts working abroad.[5][7] They are mostly academics, as well as specialists in districts and upazilas for locality inputs and people from professions and occupations. District and upazila cartography has been processed at the Geographic information system (GIS) and cartographic laboratory set up for the Banglapedia.[15] A gazetteer group was created to focus on districts and upazilas. The fact that around 400 local intellectuals were charged with writing about their respective zilas and upazilas was described as a unique approach to information gathering.[7] In addition, 250 people worked in research management for seven years.[15] A total of 2,000 scholars and technicians were involved.[4] There were 270 full-time personnel on the project in all, with 35 to 40 people employed at any given time.[7]

Sirajul Islam is the chairman of the Board of Editors of Banglapedia, and the editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. A professor of history at the University of Dhaka, the oldest and largest university in Bangladesh, Islam gave up his day job five years before the formal date for retirement, to make time for Banglapedia.[9] He also edited the 3 volumes of the History of Bangladesh (political, economic and socio-cultural), published by the Asiatic Society In 1991.[9][16] He is now working on the Children's Banglapedia and the Cultural Survey of Bangladesh, and is also in charge of the National Online Biography project of the Society and the Banglapedia Trust.[9]

The encyclopedia was prepared by a board of editors that included Professor Sirajul Islam of the Department of History, Dhaka University, as the Chairman and Chief Editor, Professor Sajahan Miah of the Department of Philosophy, Dhaka University, as the Convenor and Managing Editor, Professor M. Aminul Islam as the Chairman of Project Implementation Committee, the Chairman of Fund Management Committee, and the Chairman of Cartography Committee, Professor Abdul Momin Chowdhury as the Chairman of Publication Committee, Professor S M Mahfuzur Rahman as the Convenor of Purchase and Procurement Committee, Shahida Alam as the Convenor of Public Relations and Communication Committee, and Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury as the Chairman of Multimedia Committee.[17]

The management structure includes a total of sixty members, divided into six different sub-committees headed by six subject editors. Each sub-committee covered a particular discipline. There were six consulting editors, four language editors, and three translation editors. Each subject editor received assistance from six assistant and associate editors.[7] Banglapedias subject editors were: Professor Abdul Momin Chowdhury (History and Heritage), Professor Wakil Ahmed (Arts, Humanities, Religion), Professor Mahfuzur Rahman (Society and Economy), Dr Kamal Siddiqui (State and Governance), and Professor S M H Kabir (Science and Technology).[4]

Electronic versions

The CD-ROM version of Banglapedia has more entries than the print version, along with 65 video clips, 49 audio clips, 2,714 images and thumbnails, and 647 maps.[2] The audio clips include songs by Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, while the video clips include Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's speech on 7 March 1971. Some images that appear in black and white in the print version are in color in the CD-ROM version.[18] Designed to run on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows NT,[2] the CD-ROM version includes about 70,000 links and an option to create a personal "favorite list".[18]

Banglapedia has had several online addresses, some are no longer authorised by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

Controversy

Controversy over Banglapedia broke out even before publication, when the Inqilab group, a major Bangladeshi newspaper publishing house, got hold of a few entries on religion and related issues.[7] There have also been complaints about an omission of Jamaat-e-Islami's activities during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[7] A study by Bdnews24.com, a news portal, claimed that Banglapedia is biased and inaccurate about Bangladesh's indigenous population.[19] The encyclopedia is also reported to have used derogatory coinage such as Mogh for Marma and Rakhine, Tipra for Tripuri and Murang for Mros, as well as upajati (literally "sub-nation", used to mean "tribal") to define them all.[20] Leaders of the indigenous community, including Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council member and Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti leader Rupayan Dewan and General secretary of Adivasi Forum Sanjib Drong, have endorsed the study's findings.[20] Chief editor Islam acknowledged the complaint and promised to amend the second edition accordingly.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Banglapedia". Bangladesh. Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO. from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e Staff Correspondent (2004-01-02). . The New Age. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  3. ^ Iqbal, Iftekhar (2006-11-16). "The case for Bangladesh Studies". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m UNB (2003-03-24). "Compilation of Banglapedia completed". General news. Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP). Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Akkas, Abu Jar M (2004-05-23). . The Weekly Holiday. Archived from the original on 2005-12-13. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  6. ^ Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal, ed. (2012), "Welcome to Banglapedia", Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Zaman, Mustafa; Ahsan, Shamim (2003-09-02). "The Banglapedia and its Making". Star Magazine. The Daily Star. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Islam, Sirajul (January 2003). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 978-984-32-0576-6.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Khan, Mubin S (2006-01-01). . New Age New Year Special 2006. The New Age. Archived from the original on 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  10. ^ a b Datta, Amaresh (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian literature. Vol. 2. Delhi: South Asia Books. pp. 1162–1163. ISBN 978-81-7201-649-4.
  11. ^ "Islami Bishwakosh" ইসলামী বিশ্বকোষ [Encyclopedia of Islam]. Islamic Foundation Bangladesh (in Bengali).
  12. ^ Akkas, Abu Jar M (2003-09-02). . The New Age. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  13. ^ Banglapedia, Columbia University Libraries Databases; Retrieved: 19 January 2008
  14. ^ Banglapedia, Arts and Humanities, Intute, Joint Information Systems Committee; Retrieved: 19 January 2008
  15. ^ a b Staff Correspondent (2004-01-02). . The New Age. Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  16. ^ "Sirajul Islam (Dhaka University)". International Directory of South Asia Scholars (IDSAS). Columbia University. 2004-04-21. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  17. ^ Islam, Sirajul (January 2003). Board of Editors. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 978-984-32-0576-6.
  18. ^ a b Zaman, Mustafa; Ahsan, Shamim (2003-09-02). "The Electronic version of Banglapedia". Star Magazine. The Daily Star. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  19. ^ BDNews24 (2007-02-25). . The New Age. Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  20. ^ a b c BDNews24 (2007-02-24). . The New Age. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2007-06-07.

External links

  • Official website  

February 02, 2023
banglapedia, national, encyclopedia, bangladesh, first, bangladeshi, encyclopedia, available, print, format, online, both, bengali, english, print, version, comprises, fourteen, page, volumes, first, edition, published, january, 2003, volumes, asiatic, society. Banglapedia the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia 1 It is available in print CD ROM format and online 2 in both Bengali and English 3 The print version comprises fourteen 500 page volumes The first edition was published in January 2003 in ten volumes by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh 4 with a plan to update it every two years 5 The second edition was issued in 2012 in fourteen volumes 6 BanglapediaNational Encyclopedia of BangladeshEditorSirajul IslamSajahan MiahOriginal titleব ল প ড য TranslatorVariousCountryBangladeshLanguageBengali EnglishSubjectVariousGenreEncyclopediaPublisherBanglapedia Trust Asiatic Society of BangladeshPublication dateJanuary 2003Media typePrint hardcover CD ROM OnlinePages14 VolumesISBN984 32 0576 6OCLC52727562Original textব ল প ড য onlineWebsiteen wbr banglapedia wbr orgBanglapedia was not designed as a general encyclopedia but as a specialized encyclopedia on Bangladesh related topics 7 For the encyclopedia s purposes Bangladesh is defined as the territory comprising ancient Eastern India Bengal Sultanate Bengal Subah Bengal Presidency East Bengal East Pakistan and the independent Bangladesh in historical succession 5 8 The encyclopedia s chief editor is Sirajul Islam 9 Over 1450 writers and specialists in Bangladesh and abroad helped create the entries 4 5 Banglapedia has over 5 700 entries in six editorial categories 2 each of which is overseen by an expert editor 4 5 8 as well as over 2 000 single and four colour illustrations and 2 100 cross references 4 5 The project was funded by the Bangladeshi government private sector organizations academic institutes and UNESCO 4 7 Though its original budget was 800 000 taka roughly US 10 000 the Asiatic Society eventually spent 80 million taka roughly US 1 million on the project 1 4 9 Despite controversies over entries on the Bangladesh Liberation War and indigenous people both the Bengali and English versions became popular upon publication 5 Contents 1 Development 2 History of Bengali language encyclopedias 3 Content 3 1 Operational definition of Bangladesh 4 Working team 5 Electronic versions 6 Controversy 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksDevelopment EditThe Banglapedia project originated when the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was working on a three volume study titled History of Bangladesh 1704 1971 in 1991 The editors felt the need for a standard desk reference as that project progressed laboriously culling facts from various libraries The idea finally led to a concept paper prepared by Sirajul Islam and his colleagues and submitted to the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in early 1994 The Banglapedia project was formally adopted on 19 February 1997 and Islam was appointed project director and chief editor As the head of the Project Implementation Committee his task was to plan and manage the project funding 7 In 1996 some three dozen committees were formed with three to four people in each committee to recommend the entries Twenty seven thousand entries were proposed requiring a 20 volume compendium Because of financial constraints the number of entries was cut down to around 6 000 9 The project officially took off in 1998 7 When the project began the Society had only eight hundred thousand taka in its coffers for the project Banglapedia raised further contributions from universities banks multinational companies international organisations and even private individuals 9 A pool of agencies including UNESCO the University Grants Commission universities financial institutions and NGOs initially financed the project which was completed at a cost of taka 80 million 1 4 Education Ministry funded about 74 of the cost 4 while 26 of the fund came mostly from universities and banks 7 Before direct sales started on 3 January 2003 4 000 copies of the English version and all but 250 copies of the Bengali version were sold in advance out of the initial print of 5 000 copies for each versions 5 For an additional run of 10 000 prints people waited in queues outside the Asiatic Society office on the day of the release and sales continued until 9 30 in the evening A total of 4 500 sets of the Bengali version and 2 500 of the English version were sold on the day of release 7 History of Bengali language encyclopedias EditThe first attempt to compile a Bengali encyclopedia was undertaken by Felix Carey 1786 1822 who was the son of Reverend William Carey 1761 1834 of Serampore and the first lexicographer of the Burmese language In 1819 he began the translation of the fifth edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica naming it Vidyarthabali From October 1819 till November 1820 the book was printed by Felix Carey every month in 48 page installments Thus completed the first part of Vidyarthabali was compiled into the 638 page Vyabachchedvidya the first book on anatomy and surgery in Bengali Work on the second part Smritishastra which was largely on jurisprudence then began But Carey died after only two 40 page installments were printed in February and March 1821 10 It was followed by Maharaja Kalikirshna Dev Bahadur s 1808 1974 Sankshipta Sadvidyabali 1833 a concise encyclopedia Then came Raja Radhakanta Deb s Sabdakalpadrum 1822 1858 a Sanskrit encyclopedic dictionary in eight parts Next was Rajkrishna Ray 1849 1894 and Saratchandra Dev s 1858 unknown joint work Bharatkosh the first Bengali encyclopedia laid out in alphabetical order 1880 1892 published in three volumes Reverend Krishna Mohan Banerjee s 1813 1885 adaptation of Encyclopaedia Britannica Vidyakalpadruma or Encyclopaedia Bengalensis 1846 51 and the 22 volume Bangla Visvakosh 1886 1911 edited by Nagendranath Basu 1866 1938 with contributions from many major personalities of contemporary Bengal were published next 8 10 After the independence of Pakistan and the partition of Bengal in 1947 there have been more attempts to compile and publish an encyclopedia The first was a project to produce a Bengali adaptation of Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia by Franklin Book Programs Inc undertaken in 1959 and aborted ten years later The unfinished papers were compiled into four unequal volumes as Bangla Vishvakosh 1972 with Khan Bahadur Abdul Hakim as the chief editor 8 After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 three specialized encyclopedias were published the multi volume Islami Bishwakosh Encyclopedia of Islam 1986 by Islamic Foundation Bangladesh 11 5 volume Shishu Biswakosh Encyclopedia for Children 1995 by Bangladesh Shishu Academy and 4 volume Vijnan Biswakosh Encyclopedia of Science 1998 by Bangla Academy 12 Content EditVidyakalpadruma an encyclopedic 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 Bengali 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 Sample text excerpt from Banglapedia entry on VidyakalpadrumaBanglapedia contains over 5 700 entries 2 which are divided into six categories arts and humanities history and heritage state and governance society and economy natural sciences and biological sciences The writing of each article was overseen by an expert editor 4 5 Banglapedia was not designed as a general encyclopedia Its purpose is to provide a standard desk reference for Bangladeshis as well as for people interested in Bangladesh Bengali speaking people and related political cultural and geographical contexts 7 The encyclopedia s editors intended to cover the rise of the Bengal Delta on the physical plane and its evolution to date and the changing features of the formation of the delta s janapada or human settlements on the human plane The latter 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 8 Entries on topics after 1947 are restricted to the geographical region of Bangladesh However for biographical entries the linguistic identity prevails 7 The range of topics covered by Banglapedia includes political geography religion literature art and architecture folk practices and institutions indigenous and colonial administration politics society economy ethnicity and the sciences 7 13 All 64 districts of Bangladesh as well as 451 upazilas have been described in details ranging from topographical accounts to the number of dairy farms and hatcheries 7 Over 2 000 single and four colour illustrations depict Bangladeshi art and architecture everyday life cities and villages and personages 4 It has about 2 100 cross references cartographic information tables and statistics 5 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 8 14 Operational definition of Bangladesh Edit According to the publisher 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 the present 8 The project conceptually and territorially interprets the term Bangladesh to mean successively ancient Eastern India the Bengal Sultanate Bengal Subah Bengal Presidency East Bengal East Pakistan and Bangladesh 4 5 The editor s preface states From ancient times to 1971 the political geography of the region has changed often and with that its name has also undergone changes The cognates of Vanga Bangalah Vangla Bengal Vangadesh Vangladesh etc have the closest affinity both territorially and linguistically with the term Bangla With the rise of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation state the term has no doubt obtained a specific meaning It may be noted here that the term Bangalah or Bengala from which Bangla and Bengal originated was coined and circulated by Muslim rulers whose seats of administration were located mostly within the present territory of Bangladesh 8 Working team EditOver 1 200 writers and specialists contributed to the encyclopedia one fifth of whom were foreign experts in Bangladesh or experts working abroad 5 7 They are mostly academics as well as specialists in districts and upazilas for locality inputs and people from professions and occupations District and upazila cartography has been processed at the Geographic information system GIS and cartographic laboratory set up for the Banglapedia 15 A gazetteer group was created to focus on districts and upazilas The fact that around 400 local intellectuals were charged with writing about their respective zilas and upazilas was described as a unique approach to information gathering 7 In addition 250 people worked in research management for seven years 15 A total of 2 000 scholars and technicians were involved 4 There were 270 full time personnel on the project in all with 35 to 40 people employed at any given time 7 Sirajul Islam is the chairman of the Board of Editors of Banglapedia and the editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh A professor of history at the University of Dhaka the oldest and largest university in Bangladesh Islam gave up his day job five years before the formal date for retirement to make time for Banglapedia 9 He also edited the 3 volumes of the History of Bangladesh political economic and socio cultural published by the Asiatic Society In 1991 9 16 He is now working on the Children s Banglapedia and the Cultural Survey of Bangladesh and is also in charge of the National Online Biography project of the Society and the Banglapedia Trust 9 The encyclopedia was prepared by a board of editors that included Professor Sirajul Islam of the Department of History Dhaka University as the Chairman and Chief Editor Professor Sajahan Miah of the Department of Philosophy Dhaka University as the Convenor and Managing Editor Professor M Aminul Islam as the Chairman of Project Implementation Committee the Chairman of Fund Management Committee and the Chairman of Cartography Committee Professor Abdul Momin Chowdhury as the Chairman of Publication Committee Professor S M Mahfuzur Rahman as the Convenor of Purchase and Procurement Committee Shahida Alam as the Convenor of Public Relations and Communication Committee and Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury as the Chairman of Multimedia Committee 17 The management structure includes a total of sixty members divided into six different sub committees headed by six subject editors Each sub committee covered a particular discipline There were six consulting editors four language editors and three translation editors Each subject editor received assistance from six assistant and associate editors 7 Banglapedias subject editors were Professor Abdul Momin Chowdhury History and Heritage Professor Wakil Ahmed Arts Humanities Religion Professor Mahfuzur Rahman Society and Economy Dr Kamal Siddiqui State and Governance and Professor S M H Kabir Science and Technology 4 Electronic versions EditThe CD ROM version of Banglapedia has more entries than the print version along with 65 video clips 49 audio clips 2 714 images and thumbnails and 647 maps 2 The audio clips include songs by Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam while the video clips include Sheikh Mujibur Rahman s speech on 7 March 1971 Some images that appear in black and white in the print version are in color in the CD ROM version 18 Designed to run on Windows 98 Windows ME Windows 2000 and Windows NT 2 the CD ROM version includes about 70 000 links and an option to create a personal favorite list 18 Banglapedia has had several online addresses some are no longer authorised by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh Controversy EditControversy over Banglapedia broke out even before publication when the Inqilab group a major Bangladeshi newspaper publishing house got hold of a few entries on religion and related issues 7 There have also been complaints about an omission of Jamaat e Islami s activities during the Bangladesh Liberation War 7 A study by Bdnews24 com a news portal claimed that Banglapedia is biased and inaccurate about Bangladesh s indigenous population 19 The encyclopedia is also reported to have used derogatory coinage such as Mogh for Marma and Rakhine Tipra for Tripuri and Murang for Mros as well as upajati literally sub nation used to mean tribal to define them all 20 Leaders of the indigenous community including Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council member and Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti leader Rupayan Dewan and General secretary of Adivasi Forum Sanjib Drong have endorsed the study s findings 20 Chief editor Islam acknowledged the complaint and promised to amend the second edition accordingly 20 See also EditBengali Wikipedia List of online encyclopedias List of historical encyclopediasReferences Edit a b c Banglapedia Bangladesh Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO Archived from the original on 7 June 2007 Retrieved 2007 06 07 a b c d e Staff Correspondent 2004 01 02 Banglapedia on CD Rom to hit market by February The New Age Archived from the original on 2005 02 07 Retrieved 2007 07 23 Iqbal Iftekhar 2006 11 16 The case for Bangladesh Studies The Daily Star Retrieved 2007 06 07 a b c d e f g h i j k l m UNB 2003 03 24 Compilation of Banglapedia completed General news Sustainable Development Networking Programme SDNP Retrieved 2008 01 19 a b c d e f g h i j k Akkas Abu Jar M 2004 05 23 Banglapedia edition every 2 years The Weekly Holiday Archived from the original on 2005 12 13 Retrieved 2007 06 07 Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A Jamal ed 2012 Welcome to Banglapedia Banglapedia National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh Second ed Asiatic Society of Bangladesh a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Zaman Mustafa Ahsan Shamim 2003 09 02 The Banglapedia and its Making Star Magazine The Daily Star Retrieved 2015 05 12 a b c d e f g h Islam Sirajul January 2003 Banglapedia National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh Dhaka Bangladesh Asiatic Society of Bangladesh ISBN 978 984 32 0576 6 a b c d e f g Khan Mubin S 2006 01 01 Professor Sirajul Islam Making history New Age New Year Special 2006 The New Age Archived from the original on 2007 05 11 Retrieved 2007 06 07 a b Datta Amaresh 1988 Encyclopaedia of Indian literature Vol 2 Delhi South Asia Books pp 1162 1163 ISBN 978 81 7201 649 4 Islami Bishwakosh ইসল ম ব শ বক ষ Encyclopedia of Islam Islamic Foundation Bangladesh in Bengali Akkas Abu Jar M 2003 09 02 The making of an academy The New Age Archived from the original on 2007 12 11 Retrieved 2008 01 17 Banglapedia Columbia University Libraries Databases Retrieved 19 January 2008 Banglapedia Arts and Humanities Intute Joint Information Systems Committee Retrieved 19 January 2008 a b Staff Correspondent 2004 01 02 Asiatic Society to celebrate journal s golden jubilee Feb 11 The New Age Archived from the original on 2009 04 15 Retrieved 2008 01 19 Sirajul Islam Dhaka University International Directory of South Asia Scholars IDSAS Columbia University 2004 04 21 Retrieved 2007 07 23 Islam Sirajul January 2003 Board of Editors Banglapedia National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh Dhaka Bangladesh Asiatic Society of Bangladesh ISBN 978 984 32 0576 6 a b Zaman Mustafa Ahsan Shamim 2003 09 02 The Electronic version of Banglapedia Star Magazine The Daily Star Retrieved 2008 01 17 BDNews24 2007 02 25 Respect the languages and cultures of ethnic minorities The New Age Archived from the original on 2009 04 15 Retrieved 2007 09 10 a b c BDNews24 2007 02 24 Wrong info on ethnic groups in Banglapedia The New Age Archived from the original on 2009 04 16 Retrieved 2007 06 07 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Banglapedia amp oldid 1101870109, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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