Bengali Made Mandatory in Cachar Government Offices: DC Signs in Bengali

In a landmark move, the District Commissioner of Cachar, Mridul Yadav, has signed a new official notification in Bengali, informing all government offices in the district that Bengali must be used alongside English in all official work. This includes orders, notifications, and other formal documents.

Government notices in Assam have traditionally been written in English, a practice followed for decades. However, this is now changing. The notification issued today by the District Administration of Cachar reads, “As per notification number PLB.560215/78, dated 14-04-2025, from the Political (B) Department of the Assam Government, it is hereby informed to all heads of government offices in the Cachar district that the use of the Bengali language has been made mandatory alongside English in all official work of government offices.”

It further adds: “In this regard, all district-level government offices under the Government of Assam are requested to issue all official notifications, office memorandums, etc., in both English and Bengali.” This notification was originally issued in Bengali; the above is an English translation.

What stood out was that DC Mridul Yadav signed the notification using Bengali script, marking a symbolic and respectful gesture towards the linguistic identity of the Barak Valley.

This follows the state-wide directive issued by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on 15 April, where he stated on social media, “Beginning this Bohag, Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, orders, acts, etc. across Assam. In the districts of Barak Valley and BTR, Bengali and Bodo languages shall be used respectively.”

The move aligns with the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, and aims to promote inclusivity and recognition of local languages in administration. In Barak Valley, where Bengali is the primary spoken language, this decision has been welcomed as a long-awaited recognition of the region’s cultural and linguistic identity.

This change is not just symbolic but will have a lasting impact on how government communicates with people in their native tongue—making official documents more accessible to citizens.