Overview

• A Delhi Police communique asked for translators in a “Bangladeshi language,” triggering widespread objections over its accuracy.
• BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya defended the term, calling Sylheti nearly unintelligible to Indian Bengalis, which drew rebukes from regional party figures.
• Prominent leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Rajdeep Roy and Kanad Purkayastha condemned the mischaracterization as insulting and unconstitutional.
• Parliamentarians have called for formal disciplinary action against the officers involved and a public apology, while the Delhi Police has not confirmed the letter’s authenticity.
• Advocates highlight Sylheti’s deep cultural roots and note that over seven million speakers in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal use it as a Bengali dialect.