Abdulla Ismail

Abdulla Ismail, known as Thuththu Sahib, was from Asurumuaage in Malé, a son of the well-known mathematician Himithee Ismail Kaleyfaanu. In the 1960s he designed a new form of Thaana letters, known as Athireege Thaana or Vadifathi Thaana, had a sheet of them printed abroad and distributed it. Some schools used the letters in their badges. He died in 1970.

In March 1970 he gave a copy of the sheet to Abdurraheem Abdulmajeed, through whom it reached Hassan Hameed. Hameed based the bold font MV Thuththu on it, rounding some letters to bring them closer to today's Thaana, and named it after him to honour the work. MV Thuththu Neo (2018) adapts the same letters further for today's readers.