The short answer: To show Bangla correctly on a website, type and store your text in Unicode (not in old Bijoy-style fonts), declare UTF-8 on your pages and in your database, choose a web font that supports Bangla, give the text enough size and line spacing, and test on real phones and computers. Most "broken Bangla" problems come from text that was typed with a legacy font system, or from a missing font.
Many businesses in Bangladesh want a website in Bangla, in English, or in both. It is natural: your customers speak Bangla, and they search, read and talk in Bangla every day.
But owners often run into the same problems. Bangla text appears as strange English letters and symbols. Joined letters look broken. Text copied from a document turns into nonsense. Or the page looks fine on one computer and wrong on a phone.
This article explains why these things happen and how to fix them. It is written for business owners, with a few short notes for the person who builds your website.
Why Does Bangla Text Look Broken?
There are two main reasons.
1. The text was typed in a legacy system, not in Unicode
For many years, Bangla documents in Bangladesh were written with Bijoy-style fonts such as SutonnyMJ. These work by assigning Bangla letters to the ordinary English keys. The text on screen looks like Bangla only because the special font is installed. Without that font, the same text appears as English letters and symbols.
Unicode is the standard that gives every Bangla character its own fixed code, so it looks the same on any computer, phone or website, and search engines can read it. Websites need Unicode.
If you copy text from an old document that used a Bijoy-style font, and paste it into a website, you will usually see nonsense. The fix is to convert it to Unicode, or to retype it in Unicode.
2. The font is missing or does not support Bangla properly
A website can only show text in fonts that the visitor's device has, unless the website supplies its own. Bangla also has many joined letters (conjuncts) and vowel signs, which need a font and software that shape them correctly. If the font is missing or poorly made, the letters can appear separated or in the wrong order.
Step 1: Type in Unicode
Use a Unicode Bangla keyboard. Avro Keyboard is a free program for Windows that has been available since 2003. It lets you type Bangla in Unicode using a phonetic layout (typing "ami" to get "আমি") and also supports other layouts. Many phones also have Bangla keyboards that produce Unicode.
If your team is used to the Bijoy layout, many Unicode keyboards offer the same key arrangement, so staff do not need to relearn how to type.
Step 2: Convert Old Bijoy Text
If you have old text in a Bijoy-style font, convert it before you put it on your site.
- Use a Bijoy-to-Unicode converter, and check the result carefully, because conversions can make mistakes with joined letters and punctuation.
- Read the converted text and correct any errors.
- For important documents, ask a person who writes Bangla well to proofread them.
Never paste directly from a document that uses a legacy font and hope for the best.
Step 3: Tell the Browser to Use UTF-8
UTF-8 is the common way of storing Unicode text. Your website should declare it, so browsers read the characters correctly.
- Make sure each page includes
<meta charset="utf-8">near the top. - Add the language to the page:
<html lang="bn">for Bangla pages andlang="en"for English pages. It helps browsers, search engines and screen readers. - If you use WordPress, choose the right site language in Settings, and check that the database and tables use UTF-8.
- If a developer writes custom code, make sure the database, the connection and the server all use UTF-8. A single place using another encoding can turn Bangla into question marks.
Step 4: Choose a Good Bangla Web Font
You cannot rely on every visitor's device having a good Bangla font, and the available fonts differ between computers and phones. The best way is to supply your own web font.
- Use a web font that supports Bangla. Free services such as Google Fonts offer Bangla-capable fonts, for example Hind Siliguri, which supports both Bangla and Latin letters.
- Add a fallback list, so that if the web font fails, the browser uses another font that supports Bangla.
- Check the licence. Use fonts that are free to use on websites, and avoid using commercial fonts without a licence.
- Mind the file size. Bangla fonts can be larger than English ones, which slows a page on 3G. Load only the weights you need, and test the speed, as I explain in Why a Slow Website Loses Customers, and How to Speed Yours Up on 3G.
Step 5: Make Bangla Text Easy to Read
Bangla letters have marks above, below and beside them, so they need more space than English text.
- Use a slightly larger size. Around 16 to 18 pixels is a good starting point for body text on phones.
- Give it more line spacing. A line height of about 1.6 to 1.8 keeps the marks from colliding with lines above and below.
- Avoid very thin or ornamental fonts for long text.
- Keep good contrast between text and background.
- Do not put important text inside images, because it cannot be searched, copied or resized, and it may not be readable on small screens.
Step 6: Test on Real Devices
Bangla can look different on different systems. Test your pages on:
- A Windows computer and a Mac
- A few Android phones, including an older or lower-priced one
- An iPhone or iPad, if your customers use them
- Different browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari
Look for joined letters that appear broken, missing characters and lines that overlap. If you see problems, tell your developer which device and browser you used.
Bangla and Search Engines
- Google can read Bangla Unicode text. Write natural Bangla titles, headings and descriptions for Bangla pages, just as you would in English.
- Think about how people search. Some type in Bangla, and some type Bangla words in English letters. Use the words your customers use, and consider covering both.
- Use short, clear web addresses in English letters. Bangla characters in a web address are converted into long strings of symbols when shared, which looks messy.
- Keep separate pages for each language, with clear links between the Bangla and English versions, rather than mixing languages on one page.
- Set the language correctly on each page, as mentioned above.
Bangla in Forms, Emails and Documents
- Forms: make sure forms accept and store Bangla names and addresses without turning them into question marks.
- Emails: if your website sends emails, they must use UTF-8, or Bangla will break in the message.
- PDFs and downloads: embed the fonts in PDF files so they look correct on every device.
- Social media: Facebook handles Unicode Bangla well, so you can share Unicode text in posts and links.
Common Mistakes
- Pasting text from an old Bijoy-style document
- Using a font that is installed only on your own computer
- Leaving out
langandcharsetsettings - Using a database that does not store UTF-8
- Setting Bangla text too small or too tightly spaced
- Putting text into images
- Using Bangla characters in web addresses
- Testing only on one computer
A Quick Bangla Website Checklist
- All Bangla text is typed or converted in Unicode
- Pages declare UTF-8 and the right language
- The database and any custom code use UTF-8
- A Bangla web font is loaded, with a fallback
- The font file size is small enough for 3G
- Text size and line spacing are generous
- Important text is not hidden inside images
- Web addresses use English letters
- Forms and emails handle Bangla correctly
- I tested on several phones, computers and browsers
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Bangla text show as English letters?
It was almost certainly typed with a Bijoy-style font that depends on the font being installed. Convert the text to Unicode, or retype it with a Unicode keyboard.
Do I need a special font to show Bangla?
Many devices have a built-in Bangla font, but they look different, and some are poor. A web font gives every visitor the same, reliable result.
Can I use Bangla in my domain name?
For now it is safest to use a name in English letters, which every browser and email system handles well. You can still use Bangla for your pages and content.
Should my website be in Bangla, English or both?
It depends on your customers. If they are local, Bangla content is a strong advantage. If you also serve foreign customers or businesses, include English. Many businesses offer both, with a clear language switch.
Will Google rank Bangla pages?
Yes. Google can read and show Bangla pages. Write useful, original content, and follow the usual rules for titles, headings and speed.
Why do joined letters look broken on some phones?
Some devices, especially older ones, have weak support for Bangla shaping, or the font is poor. A good web font and testing on real devices reduce the problem, but you may not be able to fix every old phone.
Need a Website in Bangla?
If you would like a website that shows Bangla properly, in Bangla, English or both, with the right fonts and settings, I can help. I design and develop websites for businesses, and I will explain every step in plain language. Send me a short message about your business and the languages you need.
