The Bengali (Bangla) speaking people are located in the northeastern part of South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and two states of India – West Bengal and Tripura. There are almost 246 million Bengalis at present, which makes them the fifth largest speech community in the world. Despite political and social divisions, they share a common literary and musical culture and several habits of daily existence which impart to them a distinct identity. The Bengalis are known for their political consciousness and cultural accomplishments The Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis provides an overview of the Bengalis across the world from the earliest Chalcolithic cultures to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 750 cross-referenced dictionary entries on politicians, educators and entrepreneurs, leaders of religious and secular institutions, writers, painters, actors and other cultural figures, and more generally, on the economy, education, political parties, religions, women and minorities, literature, art and architecture, music, cinema and other major sectors. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Bengalis.

With colorful, eye-catching illustrations to stimulate imagination and curiosity, My First Bengali (Bangla) Dictionary is specially designed for children ages 5 to 12. It contains more than 1,000 everyday words (from colors, animals, household items, foods and more)--each illustrated and translated into Bengali with accompanying phonetic pronunciation. The illustrations are arranged alphabetically by English so even young readers can easily search for words, and each one is labeled with clear, bold type. Recent studies suggest that children should begin learning a foreign language before age 10 for best results. This dictionary is a fun, engaging way for parents or grandparents to introduce Bengali to young children. Teachers will also find the dictionary useful for students who are learning Bengali or English from Kindergarten and up. Bengali, also known as Bangla, is an official language of Bangladesh and India and is spoken by over 230 million people worldwide. In fact, it is the seventh most spoken language in the world.