Agartala, August 4: A letter issued by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Lodhi Colony Police Station in New Delhi has sparked widespread outrage after it referred to Bengali as the “Bangladeshi language” while seeking translation assistance in a case involving suspected illegal immigrants.
The letter, linked to FIR No. 51/2025 under the Foreigners Act and Aadhaar Act, was issued in connection with the arrest of eight foreign nationals. It requested an official translator “proficient in Bangladeshi national language” to help interpret documents including ID cards, birth certificates, and bank records — all allegedly written in Bengali.
The classification has drawn strong condemnation from various quarters, with Tripura royal scion and TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman leading the criticism. Calling the police communication “deeply concerning” and “ignorant,” Pradyot questioned the mischaracterization of a widely spoken Indian language.
“There is no such thing called a Bangladeshi language! How can we forget that even our national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was originally composed in Bengali by Tagore?” Pradyot said, warning that such bureaucratic missteps risk fostering divisive and extremist sentiments.
He further emphasized the importance of linguistic respect in a diverse country like India. “Yes, I remain firmly opposed to the imposition of any language on any community. But as Indians, we must uphold respect for all our languages — be it Kokborok, Bengali, Tamil, Assamese, Mizo, Bodo, or Hindi or even English,” he added.
The incident has reignited conversations about linguistic sensitivity, official accountability, and the need for cultural literacy in public institutions. Scholars and rights groups have also called for the Delhi Police to issue a formal clarification and revise its approach when addressing matters involving multilingual populations.
