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Banglapedia

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Vorlage:Infobox Book 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.[1] Its chief editor is Sirajul Islam[2][3] and is published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.[4] It is planned to be updated every two years.[5] It is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia.[6]

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.[7] More than 6000 entries were contributed by over 1200 writers and specialists. The project was at a cost of taka 80 million, to which UNESCO made a contribution under the participation programme through Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO.[8] More than 8,000 sets of the Banglapedia have sold out in advance, earning Asiatic Society of Bangladesh taka 30 million.[9]

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.[7]

History of encyclopedias in Bangladesh

The earliest encyclopedic attempt in Bengal was made by Felix Carey, son of Reverend William Carey, who wrote Vidhyaharabali (1819-21), a book of knowledge for children. It was followed by Raja Radhakanta Deb's Sabdakalpadrum (1822-1858), a Sanskrit encyclopedic dictionary in eight parts, and Reverend Krishna Mohan Banerji's Vidyakalpadruma (1846-51), an adaptation of the Encyclopedia Britannica. 22 volumes of Bangla Visvakosh (1886-1911) edited by Nagendranath Basu and single volume Vangyiya Mahakosh (1934) edited by Amulya Charan Bidhyabhushan were published next.[10]

After the independence of Pakistan and the partition of Bengal in 1947, there has 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 Visvacos (1972) with Khan Bahadur Abdul Hakim as the chief editor.[10]

After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, three specialized encyclopedias were published - the multi-volume Islami Bishwakosh (1986-) by Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, 5-volume Shishu-Biswakosh (1995) by Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and 4-volume Vijnan Biswakosh (1998-) by Bangla Academy.[10]

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.[7]

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.[7]

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.[7]

Over 2000 single and four-colour illustrations depict Bangladesh art and architecture, everyday life, cities and villages and personages.[11][12][13] It has about 2100 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.[14]

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.[7][15][2]

  • 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[16][17]:

  • Cultural Survey of Bangladesh: Scheduled publication date- December 2007; projected number of volumes- 12; Editor in Chief- Professor Sirajul Islam[18]
  • 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[19]

Criticism

A study by BDNews24.com, a news portal, claims that Banglapedia has biased and incorrect views on the indigenous population of Bangladesh.[20] 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.[21] 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

Vorlage:Reflist

  1. ↑ Iftekhar Iqbal: The case for Bangladesh Studies, The Daily Star, 16. November 2006, S. Point-Counterpoint. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  2. ↑ a b Banglapedia Board of Editors. (HTML) Banglapedia, abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007.
  3. ↑ Mubin S Khan: Professor Sirajul Islam: Making history In: New Age New Year Special 2006, The New Age, 1. Januar 2006. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  4. ↑ Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. (HTML) Banglapedia, abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007.
  5. ↑ a b Abu Jar M Akkas: Banglapedia edition every 2 years, The Weekly Holiday, 23. Mai 2004, S. Front Page. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  6. ↑ The first Bangladeshi Encyclopedia Weekly Holiday, 2006-07-02. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Sirajul Islam: Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2003, ISBN 978-984-32-0576-6 (com.bd).
  8. ↑ Banglapedia. (HTML) In: Bangladesh. Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007.
  9. ↑ Banglapedia in bureaucratic cobweb, Weekly Holidady, 2003-04-18; Retrieved: 2007-09-09
  10. ↑ a b c Editor's Preface, Banglapedia; Retrieved: 2007-09-10
  11. ↑ Banglapedia on Vedam Books
  12. ↑ Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (In 10 Volumes). (HTML) Bagchee, abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007.
  13. ↑ Banglapedia on Half Value
  14. ↑ How to Use the Banglapedia. (HTML) In: Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, abgerufen am 23. Juli 2007.
  15. ↑ Asiatic Society to celebrate journal’s golden jubilee Feb 11 The New Age, 2006-02-10. Retrieved: 2007-07-23
  16. ↑ Staff Correspondent: Asiatic Society to award M Phil, PhD degrees, The New Age, 30. Juni 2006, S. Front Page. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  17. ↑ Staff Correspondent: Asiatic Society takes up 4 more projects, The Weekly Holiday, 17. Juni 2005, S. Miscellany. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  18. ↑ Bdnews24.com.Dhaka: Encyclopaedia on Bangladesh culture in the making, The New Age, 4. März 2007, S. Front Page. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  19. ↑ Staff Correspondent: Banglapedia works on online biography, The New Age, 2. August 2005, S. Metro. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
  20. ↑ BDNews24.com: Study on Banglapedia
  21. ↑ BDNews24: Wrong info on ethnic groups in Banglapedia, The New Age, 24. Februar 2007, S. Front Page. Abgerufen am 7. Juni 2007 (english). 
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