A living archive: 42 Indigenous languages in Bangladesh preserved under one online portal

August 24, 2025

The Bangladesh government's Information and Communication Technology Division has launched a major initiative to digitally preserve 42 endangered languages through the "Multilingual Cloud" website. This project, part of the Enhancement of Bangla Language in ICT through Research & Development (EBLICT) program, has documented 97,782 sentences with proper pronunciation and recorded 12,646 minutes of audio from 214 native speakers. The effort addresses the critical state of endangered languages in Bangladesh, such as Kharia which is spoken by only five people, and aims to preserve not only linguistic elements but also cultural characteristics through comprehensive digital documentation.

Who is affected

Indigenous language speakers and communities in Bangladesh, particularly those of 42 documented languages
Speakers of critically endangered languages like Kharia (only five remaining speakers)
The 14 languages identified by the International Mother Language Institute as at risk of extinction
50+ ethnic minority groups struggling to keep their languages alive
214 native speakers who contributed audio recordings for the project
Future generations who would otherwise lose access to these languages and associated cultural heritage

What action is being taken

The Bangladesh government is digitizing 42 languages through the Multilingual Cloud website
Researchers are collecting and recording voice data and video documentation of Indigenous languages
The project is systematically preserving both written and unwritten forms of endangered languages
The initiative is documenting correct pronunciations through International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions
Native speakers are contributing audio recordings across various topics including traditional stories and cultural practices
The government is developing fonts and keyboards to enable digital use of these languages

Why it matters

Once the last speakers of endangered languages die, these languages may disappear entirely
According to UNESCO, one language dies every 14 days worldwide
Out of more than 7,000 global languages, approximately 2,500 are endangered
Languages preserve not only linguistic elements but also cultural characteristics and identity
Most Indigenous languages remain absent from schools and public domains, including online spaces
The absence of scripts poses a major challenge for many of these languages
The digitization enables speakers to use their native languages on digital platforms, strengthening their sense of identity

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices