Wikimedia chapters/Reports/Wikimedia Bangladesh/2023

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Report of activities: 2023[edit]

Amar Ekushey Article Contest[edit]

Amar Ekushey Article Contest 2023 prize giving ceremony at Dhaka

The 6th edition of Amar Ekushey Article Contest contest was organized this year from February to March. A total of 811 participants registered for the contest, with the notable fact that the majority of them are newcomers. Participants submitted a total of 200 articles for review, out of which 97 articles met the required quality standards and were accepted. These accepted articles contributed over 350 thousand words of valuable content to Bangla Wikipedia.

A prize giving ceremnoy arranged on 16 June 2023 in Dhaka. Over 30 Wikipedians from across the country attended the prize giving ceremony. The event provided an opportunity for networking, knowledge sharing, and further collaboration, strengthening the community and attracting new volunteers.

Ekushey Wiki gathering across Bangladesh[edit]

Every year on 21 February, Wikimedia Bangladesh hosts gatherings across Bangladesh to observe International Mother Language Day since 2007. Wikipedians of Bangladesh stand in public places with banners, asking passersby to contribute to Bangla Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years, it was not organized because in-person gatherings were not allowed. This year, it was organized in seven different cities (Dhaka, Chottogram, Rajshahi, Chandpur, Barishal, and Netrokona) of Bangladesh.

The day holds special meaning for Bangladeshis, as UNESCO established 21 February as International Mother Language Day as a tribute to those who were killed in the 21 February 1952 Bangla Language Movement demonstration and to recognize the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the world.

Workshop[edit]

A snapshot of the Workshop
A snapshot of the Workshop

A workshop for Bangla Wikivoyage was organized in May 2023, marking the first time such an event took place since its inauguration in 2018. The workshop was conducted by Rangan Datta, and approximately 20 Wikimedians from Bangladesh and India participated. Following the workshop, there was a noticeable increase in contributions to Bangla Wikivoyage, accompanied by improvements in the quality of the entities.

Edit-a-thons[edit]

  • World Environment Day Edit-a-thon banner
    World Environment Day Edit-a-thon 2023: Wikimedia Bangladesh hosted a three-day-long edit-a-thon for the fourth time during World Environment Day on Bangla Wikipedia. This 72-hour-long edit-a-thon was a special focus on "plastics and the environment". This editathon was held on 5-7 June 2023. A total of 24 contributors participated in this edition and 35 new articles were created during this event. All participants are provided digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh.
  • World Tourism Day Edit-a-thon banner
    Bangla Wikivoyage World Tourism Day Edit-a-thon 2023: Wikimedia Bangladesh hosted a three-day-long edit-a-thon for the first time during World Tourism Day on Bangla Wikivoyage. This was also the first edit-a-thon on Bangla Wikivoyage since its creation. The edit-a-thon aimed to increase content on travel-related topics and enhance the quality of the existing content on Bangla Wikivoyage. This editathon was held on 26-28 September 2023. A total of 20 contributors participated in this edition and 35 new articles were created during this event. Participants are given digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh. All participants are provided digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh.
  • World Tourism Day Edit-a-thon banner
    World Food Day Edit-a-thon 2023: Wikimedia Bangladesh hosted a three-day-long edit-a-thon for the first time during International Food Day on Bangla Wikipedia. The edit-a-thon aimed to increase content on global food-related topics and enhance the quality of the existing content on Bangla Wikipedia. This editathon was held on 15-17 October 2023. A total of 11 contributors participated in this edition and 26 new articles were created during this event. All participants are provided digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh.
  • Open Access Week Edit-a-thon banner
    Bangla Wikipedia Open Access Week Edit-a-thon 2023: Wikimedia Bangladesh hosted a week-long edit-a-thon during International Open Access Week on Bangla Wikipedia. The edit-a-thon aimed to increase content on Open Access-related topics and enhance the quality of the existing content on Bangla Wikipedia. This editathon was held on 23–29 October 2023. A total of 11 contributors participated in this edition and 15 new articles were created during this event. All participants are provided digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh.

Datathon[edit]

  • International Museum Day Datathon 2023: Wikimedia Bangladesh hosted a day-long datathon for the first time during the International Museum Day Datathon on Wikidata. The main goal of this datathon is to add information about museums located in Bangladesh to Wikidata. This datathon was held on 18 May, 2023. A total of 10 contributors participated in this edition and 23 new items were created during this event. Along with 66 existing items have been updated. All participants are provided digital certificates by Wikimedia Bangladesh.

WikiMeetup[edit]

In 2023, a total of 13 WikiMeetups were organized, comprising 8 online and 5 offline events. Two of the online meetups, held in July and November, were specifically dedicated to women. An online meetup exclusively for registered members of Wikimedia Bangladesh was conducted for the first time on December. The remaining online gatherings were centered around Bengali Wikipedia and other related projects.

The 5 offline meetups took place in 4 different cities across Bangladesh, namely Chottogram, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, and Sylhet. As part of these offline meetups, participants engaged in various collaborative activities and discussions to enhance the Wikimedia community in Bangladesh.

Cover of the magazine

Wikibarta[edit]

The first printed edition of WikiBarta was released in late 2023. This publication serves as a compilation, featuring content from the preceding 9 issues of Wikibarta, supplemented by fresh articles on the Wikimedia Movement. It encompasses significant and timely contributions, including articles, interviews, and news originally published in Wikibarta. Distribution of WikiBarta copies extends beyond the Wikimedians, reaching educational institutions such as public libraries.