Avro inventor Mehdi Hasan to receive Ekushey Padak

Mehdi Hasan Khan, the creator of the widely used Avro Keyboard, is among the 14 distinguished individuals and one institution selected to receive the prestigious Ekushey Padak in 2025.

He has been honored for his outstanding contribution to simplifying Bangla typing. In 2003, Mehdi Hasan developed Avro Keyboard, a free, open-source software supporting both Unicode and ANSI for Bangla writing. His innovation transformed Bangla typing on computers, making it more accessible to both individuals and institutions. The software quickly became popular due to its open-source nature and customizable features.

For his achievements, Mehdi Hasan Khan was awarded the BASIS Award in 2011 for excellence in the IT sector. The upcoming Ekushey Padak 2025 serves as recognition for his years of hard work and dedication.

Born and raised in Bangladesh, Mehdi Hasan completed his secondary education at Ideal School and College and pursued higher secondary education at Notre Dame College. He later earned an MBBS degree from Mymensingh Medical College.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs officially announced the list of this year’s Ekushey Padak recipients on Thursday, with Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki making the announcement.