Avro Keyboard — Free Bangla Typing Software for Windows

Avro Keyboard is the free, open-source Bangla typing software for Windows that defined modern Bangla input — to start typing, download the installer, run it, pick Avro Phonetic, and type Bangla the way it sounds in English letters (ami → আমি) so it converts on the fly. It is the tool most Bangladeshis learn Bangla typing with, and it remains 100% free under the MPL-2.0 license, with no paid tier or watermark.

Avro removes the single biggest barrier to Bangla typing: you do not have to memorise a keyboard layout. If you can read and spell Bangla, you can type it almost immediately. That is why Avro became the de facto standard for students, journalists, office workers, and anyone who needs Bangla on a computer.

Features

• Avro Phonetic — type Bangla phonetically; no layout to memorise.
• UniBijoy — the free, MIT-licensed fixed Bijoy layout for those who need it.
• Built-in legacy ↔ Unicode converter for moving between Bijoy and Unicode.
• Mouse-based keyboard, spell checker, and custom-layout support.
• 100% free and open source (MPL-2.0).

Features deep-dive

The Avro Phonetic engine is the heart of the software. It transliterates Roman keystrokes into Bangla using an intuitive scheme — k is ক, kh is খ, and vowels attach automatically. Compound conjuncts work too: type the consonant cluster and Avro forms the joined letter for you. The spell checker suggests corrections as you type, which is invaluable while you are still building accuracy.

The built-in converter is a quiet workhorse. Bangladeshi offices have decades of documents saved in legacy ANSI fonts like SutonnyMJ; Avro's converter moves that text to and from Unicode so you can modernise old files without retyping. The mouse-based on-screen keyboard helps when a physical key is broken or when you are demonstrating layouts, and custom layouts let advanced users define their own key maps.

How to install Avro Keyboard

1. Download the installer for Windows.
2. Run it and follow the prompts; accept the default options unless you have a reason to change them.
3. Launch Avro; it docks as a small toolbar near your system tray.
4. Choose Avro Phonetic (phonetic) or UniBijoy (fixed) from the layout menu.
5. Press the layout hotkey (by default a function-key combination shown in the toolbar) and start typing Bangla in any app.

First-time setup and switching layouts

When Avro first launches it sits in English mode so it never disrupts your normal typing. Click the language indicator on the Avro toolbar, or press the hotkey, to flip to Bangla. The same control flips you back. If you want to move between Avro Phonetic and UniBijoy, open the layout dropdown on the toolbar and pick the one you want — your choice persists between sessions.

System requirements

Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 (32/64-bit). Lightweight — runs comfortably on older machines.

Common problems and fixes

• Layout not switching to Bangla: confirm the Avro toolbar shows "Bangla" and not "English"; the hotkey is the fastest toggle. If a specific app ignores Avro, click into the text field first, then switch.
• Bangla shows as boxes or broken characters: install a Unicode Bangla font (SolaimanLipi or Nikosh) and select it in the app you are typing in. Avro outputs valid Unicode, so this is always a font issue, not a typing issue.
• Phonetic vs fixed confusion: if your keystrokes are producing the wrong letters, you may be in UniBijoy (fixed) when you expected phonetic. Check the layout dropdown — UniBijoy maps keys by position, so a will not behave like phonetic.
• Avro toolbar disappeared: relaunch Avro from the Start menu; you can set it to start with Windows so the toolbar is always available.

Avro Phonetic vs UniBijoy

Aspect	Avro Phonetic	UniBijoy
Input style	Spell Bangla in Roman letters	Fixed key-to-letter positions
Learning curve	Minutes — no memorisation	Weeks of layout practice
Best for	Beginners, everyday use	Offices/exams expecting Bijoy positions
Output	Bangla Unicode	Bangla Unicode
Cost	Free	Free

• Phonetic is best for beginners and everyday use — fast to learn.
• UniBijoy is for those preparing for offices/exams that expect the Bijoy key positions.

Who Avro Keyboard is best for

Avro is the right starting point for nearly everyone typing Bangla on Windows. Students and casual users get productive in minutes with phonetic input. Exam and office candidates who must use Bijoy positions can practise UniBijoy free inside the same app and switch only to official Bijoy if a workplace mandates the legacy format. Anyone editing old documents benefits from the legacy converter.

Tip

Pair Avro with a Unicode font like SolaimanLipi or Nikosh, then build speed with LearnType's Avro course and practice drills. New to phonetic typing? Start with the lessons at our courses, study the layout at the Avro phonetic chart, and if you also need the fixed layout see the Bijoy keyboard layout. Measure your progress with the WPM calculator.

Last updated: June 2026.