Software Freedom Day in Four Cities

Software Freedom Day was observed in Bangladesh with discussions and informal gatherings on free software and open source technology across four cities. The main event was held at the Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN) office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, while similar events were organised in Chattogram, Gopalganj and Rangpur by local students and volunteers.

The events were held on Saturday, September 19, in observance of Software Freedom Day. The day is observed globally on the third Saturday of September each year. In different countries, small groups often organise their own events to promote free software and open source technology.

The Dhaka gathering was attended by BDOSN President Munir Hasan, Open Knowledge International’s Bangladesh Ambassador Nurunnabi Chowdhury Hasib, Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee member Nasir Khan Saikat, Bangladesh Science Popularisation Association researcher Zahid Hossain Khan, BDOSN Treasurer Promi Nahid, AI Olympiad Coordinator Mosharraf Hossain Tipu, Tahnik Ahmed and others working across different free software and open source platforms.

Some participants have been involved in the open source movement for many years, while others have only recently started working in the field. The participation of two generations brought together experiences and stories from different stages of Bangladesh’s free software and open source movement.

Munir Hasan opened the discussion by sharing experiences from the early days of free software in Bangladesh. He recalled that writing in Bangla on the internet was once difficult, as Bangla fonts, keyboards and other necessary tools were not readily available. Many free software and open source initiatives in the country emerged from such practical technological needs.

The discussion later covered initiatives such as Wikipedia, Ankur Linux, Mozilla and Scratch Bangladesh. Participants talked about how small groups of people started these projects, the challenges some initiatives faced, which projects eventually stopped and which continue to operate.

Participants said a defining feature of many of these initiatives was that people did not wait for external instructions. They started working based on their own needs and interests and made their work available to others. This allowed more people to use, contribute to and further develop those initiatives over time.

Tahnik Ahmed later led a discussion on artificial intelligence models. The session explored how people can contribute to AI models, what opportunities are available for newcomers and how the fundamental principles of building good products remain relevant even as technology changes rapidly.

Outside Dhaka, Software Freedom Day events were held at Chittagong Independent University, Gopalganj Science and Technology University and Carmichael College in Rangpur. The events were organised independently by local students and volunteers.

The day’s programmes concluded with participants cutting a cake together. The organisers and participants reaffirmed their commitment to bringing more people into technology through volunteer contributions to free software and open source projects.
//DBTech/NRH/SME/BPO//