Unijoy (also called UniBijoy) is the standard Unicode-compatible Bangla keyboard layout used across Bangladesh. This repository packages it for Linux, Windows, and Android.
The widely-used Bijoy keyboard layout was designed for ASCII-based Bangla software and was never compatible with Unicode. To fix this, the Ekushey Project developed Unijoy in 1999, a Unicode-native layout that preserves the familiar Bijoy key positions while working correctly with modern operating systems and applications. On 7 December 2005 it was incorporated into the m17n project database under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
While Unijoy keeps the same physical key positions as Bijoy, several things work differently because Unijoy is built on Unicode:
- ো (o-kar) vs ও: In Bijoy, a dedicated key types the letter ও. In Unijoy the same key types the vowel sign ো (o-kar), which is the correct Unicode representation.
- Vowel sign ordering: In Bijoy, you type e-kar and oi-kar before the consonant (an old convention). In Unijoy, all vowel signs are typed after the consonant, following Unicode's logical order.
- ো and ৌ: These combined vowel signs are absent from Bijoy because Bijoy assembles them from separate pieces. Unijoy includes them as proper Unicode characters.
- Special Unicode characters: Unijoy includes Zero-Width Joiner (ZWJ) and Zero-Width Non-Joiner (ZWNJ), which are sometimes needed to control how conjuncts form.
The Android layout has two additional differences from Bijoy:
- Different positions for some characters: The keys for daṛi (।), khaṇḍa ta (ৎ), bisarga (ঃ), and chandrabindu (ঁ) are in different positions from the original Bijoy layout.
- No dedicated Reph key: Bijoy reserves a key for Reph (the superscript form of র). The Android layout does not. Reph is produced by typing র followed by হসন্ত before the next consonant, which is how Unicode represents it.
| Platform | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Linux (IBus/m17n) | Bundled in m17n-db (updated layout in ≥ 1.8.13) |
No installation needed. See m17n-db |
| Linux (XKB) | Symbols file + XKB rules registration | See XKB installation |
| Windows | Installer built with MSKLC | See Windows |
| Android | HeliBoard, FlorisBoard, FUTO Keyboard, Simple Keyboard | Available separately. See project website |
There are two ways to use Unijoy on Linux. IBus/m17n is the recommended method for most people: it requires no root access and supports the full set of Bengali conjunct characters (ligatures) such as Ya-phala and Ra-phala. XKB is an alternative for setups where IBus isn't available.
The Unijoy input method has been part of m17n-db for many years. Version 1.8.13 updated it to the current, modernised layout. There is nothing to copy or configure manually: just install the packages and enable the layout.
1. Install the packages
# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ibus ibus-m17n m17n-db
# Fedora
sudo dnf install ibus ibus-m17n m17n-db
# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S ibus ibus-m17n m17n-db
m17n-db1.8.13 ships the updated Unijoy layout. Earlier versions include an older revision of the layout. To check which version your distribution provides, rundpkg -l m17n-dborrpm -q m17n-db. If you're on an older version, see Older distributions.
2. Enable IBus
Make sure IBus is running. On most modern desktops it starts automatically, but you can start it manually if needed:
ibus-daemon -drx3. Add the Unijoy input source
Open Settings → Keyboard → Add Input Sources, search for Bangla (Bangladesh) / Bangla (India), and select Bangla (bn-unijoy (m17n)).
That's it. Switch to it using your desktop's input-source shortcut (usually Super+Space) and start typing.
4. Verify
ibus list-engine | grep -i unijoyYou should see m17n:bn:unijoy in the output. If not, run ibus restart and try again.
XKB is the keyboard system built into X11 and Wayland. It's lightweight and works without IBus, but it cannot compose certain Bengali conjunct characters (Ya-phala, Ra-phala, Reph). Use the IBus method if you need those.
This method adds a standalone "Bangla (Unijoy)" layout to your system: it appears in the keyboard picker just like any other layout.
Prerequisites: bash, python3, and sudo. All three are standard on any Linux desktop.
1. Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/OishikStudio/unijoy.git
cd unijoy2. Run the installer
./install.shThe installer will:
- Copy the
unijoysymbols file to/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ - Register the layout in the XKB rules files under
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/: the.xmlfiles (evdev.xml,base.xml) so it appears in the desktop input-source picker, and the.lstfiles (evdev.lst,base.lst) solocalectlandsetxkbmapsee it too
The rules files are edited in place. ./uninstall.sh reverses the exact change (see Uninstalling).
3. Enable the layout
Log out and back in, then open Settings → Region & Language → Input Sources, click +, search for Bangla, and add Bangla (Unijoy).
If you prefer to do it yourself rather than running the script, here is exactly what the installer does:
# Step 1: Copy the symbols file
sudo cp unijoy /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/unijoy
# Step 2: Register the layout in the XKB rules files
sudo python3 scripts/manage_xkb_variant.py install scripts/evdev-fragment.xml /usr/share/X11/xkb/rulesmanage_xkb_variant.py install makes the smallest possible change, in place, to every rules file in the directory (skipping the xorg.* symlinks so their targets aren't edited twice): it adds Unijoy as a variant in two layouts, bd (Bangladesh) and in (India), in both registries. The .xml files (evdev.xml, base.xml) feed the desktop input-source picker, and the .lst files (evdev.lst, base.lst) feed localectl and setxkbmap. Editing only the .xml files is a common mistake: the layout then shows up in Settings but stays invisible to localectl list-x11-keymap-variants. The script is safe to run multiple times: it does nothing if the entries are already present.
Uninstalling reverses this exactly: manage_xkb_variant.py uninstall removes the same variant entries from every rules file in place (see Uninstalling).
In the .lst files it adds two lines (alongside the Probhat ones):
unijoy bd: Bangla (Unijoy)
ben_unijoy in: Bangla (India, Unijoy)
In the .xml files it adds two <variant> blocks:
<!-- Added to the 'bd' (Bangladesh) layout, after probhat -->
<variant>
<configItem>
<name>unijoy</name>
<shortDescription>bn</shortDescription>
<description>Bangla (Unijoy)</description>
<languageList>
<iso639Id>ben</iso639Id>
<iso639Id>sat</iso639Id>
</languageList>
</configItem>
</variant>
<!-- Added to the 'in' (India) layout, after ben_probhat -->
<variant>
<configItem>
<name>ben_unijoy</name>
<shortDescription>bn</shortDescription>
<description>Bangla (India, Unijoy)</description>
<languageList>
<iso639Id>ben</iso639Id>
<iso639Id>sat</iso639Id>
</languageList>
</configItem>
</variant>Why not replace the rules files wholesale? They are maintained by your distribution and their contents differ between distros and versions. Replacing any of them wholesale can silently remove layouts you rely on or conflict with future package updates. The merge script edits only what needs to change.
# Confirm the variants are registered under the bd and in layouts.
# localectl reads the .lst files, so seeing 'unijoy' here proves the
# .lst registration worked (not just the .xml picker entry).
localectl list-x11-keymap-variants bd | grep unijoy
localectl list-x11-keymap-variants in | grep unijoy
# Preview the key map (requires the gkbd-capplet package)
gkbd-keyboard-display -l unijoy./uninstall.shThis removes the unijoy symbols file and removes the unijoy/ben_unijoy variant entries from every XKB rules file (evdev.xml, base.xml, evdev.lst, base.lst) in place, leaving the rest of those files untouched. Then remove Bangla (Unijoy) from Settings → Region & Language → Input Sources.
To remove the IBus method, simply remove the packages:
sudo apt remove ibus-m17n # or the equivalent for your distrosudo rm /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/unijoy
sudo python3 scripts/manage_xkb_variant.py uninstall scripts/evdev-fragment.xml /usr/share/X11/xkb/rulesUnijoy has been part of m17n-db for many years, so the IBus method will work on virtually any distribution. However, if your distribution ships m17n-db older than 1.8.13, you will get an earlier revision of the layout rather than the current, updated one. You can check your installed version with:
# Debian / Ubuntu
dpkg -l m17n-db
# Fedora / RHEL
rpm -q m17n-dbYou can also confirm that the input method file is present:
ls /usr/share/m17n/bn-unijoy.mimIf you're on an older version, you have two options:
- Wait for your distribution to update the package, or build
m17n-dbfrom source. - Download the updated
.mimfile directly and drop it in place, without touching the rest of yourm17n-dbinstallation:
sudo curl -L -o /usr/share/m17n/bn-unijoy.mim \
https://cgit.git.savannah.nongnu.org/cgit/m17n/m17n-db.git/plain/MIM/bn-unijoy.mimRestart IBus afterward for the change to take effect:
ibus restartThis replaces only
bn-unijoy.mimwith the current upstream version. The rest of your distribution'sm17n-dbpackage is left untouched. A future package upgrade may overwrite this file with the distro's (possibly older) version. If that happens, just re-run the command above.
Unijoy doesn't appear in the input source list after installing
Log out and back in. Some desktops cache the keyboard registry per session. On GNOME (X11 only), you can also try pressing Alt+F2, typing r, and pressing Enter to restart the shell without logging out.
IBus is installed but "Bangla (bn-unijoy (m17n))" isn't in the list
Run ibus list-engine | grep -i unijoy. If the engine doesn't appear, confirm that m17n-db and ibus-m17n are both installed and run ibus restart. Note that on m17n-db older than 1.8.13 the engine will be present but will use an earlier revision of the layout (see Older distributions).
Switching to Unijoy does nothing / I still get English
Confirm IBus is actually running: pgrep ibus-daemon. If not, start it with ibus-daemon -drx. Also make sure the active input source in the system tray shows the IBus Unijoy engine, not a plain XKB layout.
Bengali text shows as boxes or question marks This is a missing font, not a layout problem. Install a font with full Bengali Unicode coverage:
sudo apt install fonts-noto-core # Debian / Ubuntu: core Noto weights, includes Bengali
sudo apt install fonts-noto # Debian / Ubuntu: pulls in the full Noto family, including Bengali
sudo dnf install google-noto-sans-bengali-fonts # FedoraConjuncts (Ya-phala, Ra-phala, etc.) don't form correctly The XKB layout cannot compose conjunct characters. This is a known limitation of XKB. Switch to the IBus/m17n method, which handles all conjuncts correctly.
manage_xkb_variant.py can't find the rules files
Your distribution may place them in a slightly different location. Find the directory with:
find /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules -name 'evdev.*'Pass the correct directory to the script manually:
sudo python3 scripts/manage_xkb_variant.py install scripts/evdev-fragment.xml /path/to/xkb/rules- X11 and Wayland: Both methods work on both display servers. On Wayland, the input-source list is managed entirely by the desktop environment (via
gsettings/dconfon GNOME), so the XKB layout will appear there once the rules files are updated. - Desktop environments: Instructions reference GNOME's Settings app. KDE Plasma, XFCE, MATE, and others expose the same underlying IBus engines and XKB layouts through their own keyboard or input-method settings panels.
- Package upgrades:
install.shdoes not touch the XKB rules files wholesale, so a distribution upgrade is unlikely to revert the changes. However, ifxkeyboard-configis upgraded, it may overwrite them. In that case, re-runinstall.sh.
A Windows installer built with MSKLC (Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator) is included in release. Download and run it to install the Unijoy layout on Windows 10 or 11.
1. Download the installer
Download unijoy-windows-installer.zip from the latest release.
2. Extract and run
Extract the zip, then run setup.exe inside it. Windows SmartScreen may show an "unrecognized app" warning since the installer isn't code-signed. Click More info → Run anyway to proceed. Administrator rights are required.
The zip also includes two reference PDFs to help you get started:
- user-manual.pdf: how to use the layout for typing once it's installed.
- bangla-ligature-list.pdf: the full list of Bangla conjuncts (ligatures) and how to type them.
3. Add the language
After installation, open Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region → Add a language, search for Bangla, and add it. Windows will offer Bangla (Unijoy) as the keyboard for that language. Select it during setup, or add it afterward from the language's Options page.
4. Switch to it
Use the language bar in the taskbar (or Win+Space) to switch to Bangla (Unijoy).
Uninstalling
Run setup.exe again and choose the Remove the keyboard layout option, or remove it from Settings → Apps → Installed apps by searching for "Unijoy".
Note: VIRAMA key differs from Linux/m17n
The g/G (hasanta/VIRAMA) keys behave differently on Windows than in the m17n .mim file:
| Input | Windows | m17n (Linux) |
|---|---|---|
| g | ্ (VIRAMA dead key) | ্ (VIRAMA dead key) |
| G | । (Danda) | । (Danda) |
| VIRAMA (dead key) + VIRAMA (g + g) | ্ (VIRAMA) | ্ (VIRAMA + ZWNJ) |
| VIRAMA (dead key) + Danda (g + G) | ॥ (Double Danda) | ॥ (Double Danda) |
| Alt+g | ্ (VIRAMA + ZWNJ) | ্ (VIRAMA) |
| Alt+G | ॥ (Double Danda) | ্ (VIRAMA + ZWNJ) |
.
├── README.md # This file
├── docs/
│ └── manuals/ # User Manual, Bangla Ligature List (ODT + PDF)
│ ├── user-manual.odt
│ ├── user-manual.pdf
│ ├── bangla-ligature-list.odt
│ └── bangla-ligature-list.pdf
├── unijoy # XKB symbols file (Linux)
├── unijoy.klc # MSKLC keyboard layout file (Windows)
├── install.sh # XKB installer (Linux, needs sudo)
├── uninstall.sh # Reverses install.sh
└── scripts/
├── manage_xkb_variant.py # In-place install/uninstall of the unijoy variants
└── evdev-fragment.xml # The two <variant> blocks to insert/remove
GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for details.
