To help Bangla language speakers access the internet more easily on International Mother’s Language Day, the United Nations Development Programme launched the Unicode version of the UN Bangla font in seven different iterations.
On February 21, 2020, a single version of the UN Bangla font was made available for offline use.
At the UNDP office in Dhaka on February 20, Resident Representative Stefan Liller and Goodwill Ambassador Jaya Ahsan officially unveiled the Unicode version.
“We first launched the font in 2020 as a tribute to the Bangla language. Since the use of Bangla on the internet is on the rise, we decided to launch the Unicode version for everyone. I hope this Unicode version will help uncover new grounds in Bengali writing,” UNDP Resident Representative Stefan said.
“Now people who write on their cell phones and computers will have more diversity when they write,” he added.
During the launch, Jaya Ahsan, a goodwill ambassador for the UNDP, said: “For those of us who write in Bangla, it’s fantastic. I’m thrilled to be a part of the UNDP’s World Mother’s Language Day campaign.”
UNDP’s Head of Communications Md Abdul Quayyum said, “We will soon launch the Bangla version of our UNDP Bangladesh website using this font. All our other publications will use this font as well.”
He continued, “Not only UNDP, but all other UN organisations will also be able to use this font. It is also open for free public download and use.”
Seven variations of the font are included in the Unicode font package, including bold, regular, thin, and light versions with italics.
