Bengali Mandatory in West Bengal Offices from September 1

The West Bengal government has announced that the use of the Bengali language will become mandatory across all levels of the state's administration from September 1, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari informed the State Assembly on Monday.

আজ বিধানসভায় একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয়ে বিবৃতি দেওয়ার সুযোগ করে দেওয়ার জন্য মাননীয় অধ্যক্ষ মহাশয়কে আন্তরিক ধন্যবাদ জানাই।

মহান শিক্ষাবিদ, প্রখর রাষ্ট্রচিন্তক ও ভারতীয় জনসংঘের প্রতিষ্ঠাতা ড. শ্যামাপ্রসাদ মুখার্জীর ১২৫তম জন্মজয়ন্তী উপলক্ষে কেন্দ্রীয় স্বরাষ্ট্র ও সমবায়… pic.twitter.com/OUpy01nfpt

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 20, 2026

The decision follows a request from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who urged the state government to promote the wider and more effective use of Bengali in governance and public administration.

Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister said Amit Shah had written to him in connection with the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the use of Bengali within the democratic system.

According to the letter, increased use of the language would make government services more accessible and citizen-friendly.

The Union Home Minister reportedly recommended giving priority to Bengali in government departments, the Chief Minister's Office, official correspondence, police services, and other public-facing administrative functions. The letter also highlighted the need to promote Bengali through various language-related initiatives of the Central Government.

Announcing the move, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state government has decided to make Bengali mandatory across all levels of administration from September 1. He added that Bengali would also be used for official communication with the Central Government, while Hindi will continue to be used wherever required.

The decision is expected to significantly expand the use of Bengali in government administration while improving accessibility and ease of communication for citizens across West Bengal.