Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has set a September 30, 2025, compliance deadline for all business, commercial, institutional and other establishments in the city to mandatorily display Bengali at the top of their signboards, hoardings and signage.
In a recent office order issued by the Municipal Secretary, the KMC reiterated that Bengali must be displayed in a “prominent size” along with other languages, if any, in the interest of linguistic inclusivity. The order was passed with the approval of Mayor Firhad Hakim and the Member, Mayor-in-Council (Housing, Law, PPP & Personnel).
Addressing the media recently, Hakim said while the civic body had directed establishments to include Bengali earlier, “not everyone is complying. Some, including big hotels, are putting up small Bengali signboards as a token gesture. That won’t do. The Bengali text must be of substantial size and clearly visible.” He warned that signage failing to comply will be taken down. The directive was first introduced in 2024, shortly after the Centre recognised Bengali as a classical language. Shop owners, restaurants and commercial establishments were then instructed to incorporate Bengali alongside other languages.
A similar initiative had also been undertaken in 2007 by the then Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. The latest push from the civic body comes amid a recent controversy triggered by BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, who claimed on social media that “there is, in fact, no language called Bengali.” His remark, made against the backdrop of reports that Delhi Police allegedly referred to Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language,” sparked widespread outrage. The Trinamool Congress condemned Malviya’s statement as “linguistic apartheid”, stressing that Bengali is constitutionally recognised and is the second-most spoken language in India.