A significant number of smartphone users of the country have been left confused and flustered over the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's (BTRC's) decision to mandate the inclusion of the Bijoy Bangla keyboard app on both imported and locally manufactured Android smartphones.
Government officials have urged calm as the inclusion of the Bijoy keyboard app will not disallow the installation of other Bangla keyboard apps by the user. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers Association (BMPIA) pointed out that mobile apps are not on the mandatory products' list under the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI).
The main reason users are worried by the inclusion of the app is that it has data security vulnerabilities that are acknowledged in the Bijoy privacy policy. Even if there were no privacy issues, users have also complained that the Bijoy app has an old-fashioned interface that is inferior to alternatives available on the Google Play Store.
The two most popular Bangla keyboard apps on the Play Store are Ridmik Keyboard and Ridmik Classic Keyboard, both by Ridmik Labs. The former has been downloaded more than 50 million times and the latter more than 10 million times.
On the other hand, the Bijoy Android Keyboard app by Ananda Computers has been downloaded over 100,000 times.
According to user reviews, the Ridmik Keyboard and Ridmik Classic Keyboard are rated 4 out of 5 and 4.2 out of 5, respectively. Meanwhile, Bijoy Android Keyboard has a rating of just 1.1 out of 5 on the Play Store.
Users have said that after the Bijoy Keyboard is downloaded, a warning message from Google about the app's ability to store text information, including user passwords and other personal information, is shown.
“Bijoy Keyboard has data vulnerabilities that are acknowledged in their privacy policy. So If the authorities make its use mandatory, then who will be responsible for protecting the personal data of users?” The query was from a technology expert.
When asked about the privacy issue, Syed Almas Kabir, former president of Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS), said: “Google and Apple have ensured high security for user data to prevent access by third parties, so we must ensure user information privacy.”
He added that the government is working to formulate a national data privacy policy, which is currently in the draft stage.
The former BASIS president further said: “The decision to make the Bangla keyboard mandatory was taken to encourage the use of the Bangla language. However, it may have been better not to specify a particular app.”
He said it could take up to three months to implement the directive, and it is unlikely to increase import costs.
Information technology expert Sumon Ahmed told Dhaka Tribune the Bijoy Keyboard authorities played a role behind the closure of the open source platform Unijoy Bangla Keyboard through a court order about four years ago.
"It's not a matter of forcing which keyboard will be used everywhere ;users will do whatever they feel comfortable in using," he added.
In 2018, the government announced a BSTI approved National Keyboard as the standard for Bangla typing. The Bijoy keyboard layout was similar in layout to the standard.
Subsequently, the Bijoy layout took the place of the national keyboard.
Syed Almas Kabir noted that Bangla keyboards other than the Bijoy keyboard do not support the layout of the National Keyboard. “This factor was also behind the standardisation of the Bijoy keyboard.”
Bijoy keyboard manufacturer Ananda Computers is owned by Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar. Bijoy Bangla keyboard introduced the keyboard for computers on December 16, 1988.
Telecoms Minister Mustafa Jabbar also said there are many Bangla keyboards, but Bijoy was chosen as it is already considered the standard format in the country.
The minister also said that it should be installed at the production and import stage so that users can use it immediately after purchasing the phones. However, users can also install other keyboards according to their convenience and preference.