The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) mandated that all commercial establishments in the city must display signboards in Bengali alongside other languages by February 21, 2025, an official stated. This move is part of the civic body's drive to promote the use of Bengali in public spaces.

Municipal Secretary Swapan Kundu confirmed that the corporation is engaging with shop, restaurant and business owners to ensure compliance. The decision aligns with an October proposal by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Councillor Biswarup Dey, who emphasised the inclusion of Bengali text on all public and private signboards. Biwarup Dey's push followed the Centre’s recent recognition of Bengali as a classical language on October 3, along with Assamese, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit.

KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim also backed the initiative, urging private advertising agencies and businesses to incorporate Bengali in their signage. "I have nothing against Hindi, English or other languages, but Bengali should be included," Firhad Hakim stated.

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This isn’t KMC’s first attempt. In 2007, then-Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya issued similar directives, but the initiative failed to take hold. The renewed effort reflects broader trends across India to promote regional languages in public signage.

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Comparable measures have been implemented elsewhere. Karnataka’s legislature passed a law in February requiring commercial establishments to feature at least 60 per cent Kannada on signboards. In Mumbai, the civic body doubled property taxes for those not complying with Marathi signage rules earlier this year, replacing an earlier threat of legal action.