KOLKATA: The Rajbangshi Bhasha Academy, set up by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is soon going to publish the second edition of the dictionary containing Bengali and English meanings of more than 5,000 words of the Rajbangshi language. This move to publish the second edition of the dictionary was taken up after the chairman of the Academy received a phone call from the Chief Minister, who directed the former to ensure proper implementation of tasks taken up by the Rajbangshi Bhasha Academy and Rajbangshi Development and Cultural Board. The Chief Minister had sanctioned a financial grant of Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore for Rajbangshi Bhasha Academy and Rajbangshi Development and Cultural Board respectively during her visit to North Bengal to hold an administrative review meeting before the 2021 Assembly polls were announced. The second edition of the dictionary will contain the words of Rajbangshi language written in Bengali script. English and Bengali meanings of the same words will be provided. The first edition of the same, containing nearly the same number of words, was published in 2020. The words for the second edition have been finalised by holding workshops in five Rajbangshi dominated districts in North Bengal. Workshops attended by experts in Rajbangshi language along with teachers from different schools and colleges and even researchers were organised in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur. About 50 experts on the language worked together in each workshop to prepare the manuscript of the dictionary. Soon after the ongoing restrictions imposed to check the surge in Covid cases are withdrawn, the proof reading will be undertaken and subsequently the second edition will be sent for printing. The academy had sent a copy of the first edition of the dictionary to the Chief Minister. At least 4,000 copies of the same were also distributed free-of-cost among schools, colleges, universities and students. Two copies were also provided to each of the libraries in the five districts of North Bengal. Chairman of the Rajbangshi Bhasha Academy, Bangshibadan Barman, said: "I had an interaction with the Chief Minister over phone on June 4. She took stock of the ongoing works and directed to ensure proper implementation of all necessary tasks. "Our target is to publish the second edition at the earliest as it will benefit the people a lot as 54 per cent of the population in north Bengal is from Rajbangshi community."

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