Bengali will be mandatory in all government work in West Bengal from September 1, 2026. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced this in the Assembly. Correspondence with the Center and other states will also be done in Bengali and Hindi. Emphasis has been laid on the use of Bengali in police services also.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that Bengali will be made mandatory for all official functions of the state government from September 1, 2026.
Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, the Chief Minister said that official correspondence with the central government will be conducted in Bengali as well as Hindi. He said, “From September 1, 2026, Bengali is mandatory in official use… We will exchange official letters with the Government of India and other states in Bengali as well as Hindi.”
Use of Bengali in governance and police services
He further advocated greater use of Bengali in governance, saying that the language should be used extensively in the police and other public services to strengthen trust and improve public participation. The official said Bengali should be used in civil services related to police and law and order, including registration of First Information Report (FIR), complaint registration, citizen information and security and public awareness messages.
“Widespread use of Bengali in police and law and order related citizen services, such as First Information Report (FIR), complaint registration, citizen information, and also in security and public awareness messages, will further strengthen trust, comfort and participation between the administration and the public,” he said.
Correspondence and international recognition from the center
The Chief Minister further said that Bengali and Hindi can be used instead of foreign languages in official correspondence with the Central Government. “Furthermore, in official correspondence with the Government of India, Bengali and the official language Hindi can be used instead of foreign languages,” Banerjee said.
The initiative aims to fulfill one of the promises made in the party’s manifesto for the assembly elections, which promised to preserve the cultural heritage of Bengal and promote the development of the Bengali language.
Releasing the document, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said, “We will work with the central government to ensure that efforts are made to get Bengali recognized internationally as one of the official languages of the United Nations.” (ANI)
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