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Written by Esther Smitheram

June 1st, 2026

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Expanding Literacy: The Launch of the Rohingya Zoban Language App in Kutupalong

The Rohingya Zoban mobile app has officially launched within the world's largest refugee camp, designed to help users learn the Rohingya language from anywhere in the world.

This new digital initiative is transforming literacy and cultural preservation. For decades, systemic barriers and a lack of education access have left an estimated 90% of Rohingya adults unable to read or write their native language. The launch of the Rohingya Zoban App in the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh offers a solution.

"
‘I cannot read or write. My parents and grandparents could not read or write… For the first time we have the opportunity to learn in our own language. To read and write. To organise ourselves. This is an incredibly important moment for our people.
"

Rohingya parent

Commissioned by Children on the Edge, the app was developed to meet a growing demand from adults who wanted to learn to read and write alongside the 6,000 children already excelling in our classroom mother-tongue language lessons. The app was created by Muhammad Noor, a prominent Rohingya social campaigner, founder of the Rohingya Language Council, and the developer behind the Unicode-approved Hanifi Rohingya font. 

This digital milestone provides a practical tool for the Rohingya people to preserve their heritage and build widespread literacy. Using this free app, anyone with a smartphone can learn, read, and write their mother tongue independently. Importantly, its launch also reflects the Bangladesh government’s formal approval of both mobile phone use and the Rohingya language for the refugee community in Kutupalong camp.

How the App Works

Available to download from Google Play, Rohingya Zoban is an easy, interactive language learning app designed to help users learn the Rohingya language step by step. 

In its first version, the app covers consonants, vowels, numbers, and basic vocabulary, making it perfect for beginners. The modular design enables the app to be developed as funding becomes available. Future updates aim to include touch-responsive writing, sentence formation, grammar, and assessments. With clear voice pronunciations and colourful pictures, learners can easily understand correct sounds and meanings. The simple and user-friendly layout makes learning enjoyable and accessible for all ages, including children and adults.

Whether a user is starting from scratch or improving their basics, Rohingya Zoban helps them learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. It is a great tool for preserving and learning the Rohingya language in a fun and effective way.

Built on a proven foundation

‘As Rohingya, we have a strong desire to read and write in our own language. This is critical for our development and the future of our children’. Rohingya Madji

This app opens up what began as a successful mother-tongue learning model already established in the camps by Children on the Edge and local partner, Mukti Cox’s Bazar.

Previously, the mandated Burmese-language curriculum was not understood by students or teachers, more than 96% of whom cannot read or write Burmese at primary school level. This was causing stunted learning and high dropout rates. 

To solve this, Children on the Edge pioneered the use of the Rohingya language script in our learning centres, bringing structured Rohingya language lessons, videos and textbooks to over 6,000 children. 

The academic impact has been striking, with children learning to read and write fluently in just 6 to 8 weeks. Students using these translated textbooks achieved 78% higher on endline assessments than those without them. 

The Rohingya Zoban app takes this proven classroom success. It opens the door for adults and the wider community, answering the demand from parents who also want to read and write in their own language. 

A packed-out launch event

On 17 June 2026, the app was officially launched at the "Rohingya Language for Rohingya People" event, held in Kutupalong refugee camp. Taking place at the Camp in Charge Office meeting space, the launch had the support of the Bangladesh authorities and was endorsed by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC).

Attended by hundreds of people from the Rohingya community, the programme featured presentations from local representatives, musicians and artists, team members, Rohingya Vision, and the Rohingya Language Council. Rachel Robinson, a doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, encouraged the launch as part of a trip evaluating the benefits of mother-tongue-based learning in crisis settings.

The community's response was immediate. To promote the launch, QR code posters were distributed and displayed throughout the Kutupalong camp, securing over 1,000 downloads within days.

Next steps

Language is at the heart of every people group. It is what defines them,  unites them and allows civil society to develop. For generations, our people have been denied this right. Now is the time for that to change. - Elected Rohingya Representative

The ambition from Children on the Edge is open-source impact. Having seen the pride and rapid literacy gains from physical mother tongue classroom materials, we are eager to share these books, digital tools, and translated curricula with a broader network of agencies working to improve education in the camps. 

Over the next few months, hundreds more QR posters will be placed throughout the camp, and we will collect community feedback on user experiences of the app to inform its further development. With widespread collaboration, this model has the potential to scale across the broader education sector, reaching an estimated 342,000 school-age children. 

Building on this, we believe the Rohingya language app is a potential vehicle for unity, identity, and the global voice the Rohingya community rightfully deserves. It can be downloaded here, and you can support its development and promotion by partnering with us or making a donation. 

Help make a difference

Support our work to create a literacy revolution for the Rohingya and help thousands of children learn to read and write in their own language. 

Donate today

Read more

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Children on the Edge is embarking on an unprecedented initiative to support thousands of Rohingya refugee children to read and write in their own language, using a script called 'Hanifi'

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