The transfer of West Bengal IPS officer Bushra Bano has triggered a controversy since a video of her journey to the civil services and using the Arabic greeting ‘Assalamualaikum’ on social media has gained traction. Bano, who was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur, was transferred on September 14 to Deputy Commandant of the State Armed Police's 4th Battalion. The official transfer order stated: ‘This is a short administrative reshuffle in the “public interest.”
The timing of the transfer has raised questions because it occurred soon after an NGO called the Hindu Legal Fund said it had complained to the West Bengal Home Secretary about Bano’s video. But the government has not yet formally admitted the video or complaint was the reason for her transfer. Government sources have described the move as a routine administrative procedure.
What did Bushra Bano say in the video?
Bano posted the video on September 13 while addressing civil services aspirants. She talked about her own preparation for the UPSC and the role of Aligarh Muslim University Residential Coaching Academy in her pathway for a career in civil service.
She began the video with “Assalamualaikum” and referred to “Inshallah” while encouraging students preparing for competitive exams. She also ended the video with “Jazakallah.” She mainly talked about her educational journey and her experience with AMU’s coaching program.
Bano praised the Residential Coaching Academy for providing students with opportunities to use coaching facilities and encouraged more aspirants to use it. She also described the assistance she had in preparation, including the study resources and the academy’s library.
The video was criticized by many social media users and organisations. The problem centered on her use of Islamic expressions while appearing as an IPS officer and talking about her own journey.
What was that complaint about?
The Hindu Legal Fund said it had protested to the state Home Secretary over Bano’s video. The organisation criticized her use of “Assalamualaikum”, “Inshallah” and “Jazakallah” and asked why she had not used “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram”. It argued that a serving officer representing the state should keep neutrality in public communication.
The complaint and subsequent criticism were reported by various media outlets, while right-wing social media accounts also criticised the video. The Indian Express reported that the video was flagged by right-wing YouTubers who accused Bano of promoting communal sentiments. The allegations are made by critics and are not an official finding that Bano violated any rule.
What happened to her posting?
The West Bengal government on September 14 issued an order transferring Bano from her position as Additional SP in Kharagpur. She was appointed as Deputy Commandant of the State Armed Police's 4th Battalion.
The reshuffle also involved two other police officers. WBPS officer Partha Ghosh was appointed as the new Additional SP in Kharagpur. Ghosh had served as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chandannagar Police Commissionerate. Subhendu Mondal, who was Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion, was transferred to Chandannagar as Additional Deputy Commissioner.
The official notification did not mention Bano's video, complaint or the social media controversy as the reason for the transfer. Instead, the order referred to the exercise as a minor administrative reshuffle carried out in the public interest. This distinction is important since the complaint and transfer have been the subject of speculation, but the official order itself does not establish a causal connection.
Who is Bushra Bano?
Bushra Bano is a 2021-batch IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj and belongs to the West Bengal cadre. Before joining the civil services she had an academic background and also worked in the Gulf, according to media reports. She later took up UPSC and joined IPS.
Her recent video was intended to be a conversation with civil services aspirants and she described her preparation and acknowledged the support she received from AMU’s Residential Coaching Academy. The video became the focus of the controversy surrounding her transfer.
Political reactions to the controversy.
The transfer also has provoked political reactions. TMC leaders have questioned whether personal expressions in the video should have any impact on officers' administrative posting. TMC MP Mahua Moitra has criticised the development while other leaders have also raised questions on the timing of the transfer.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, according to the information provided, said that if an officer had not used unparliamentary or unconstitutional language, personal expressions should not automatically become grounds for punishment.
At the same time, the state government maintained that the transfer was a routine administrative decision made in the public interest. No official statement has been made in the past that Bano was moved because she used Islamic greetings in her video.
The controversy is thus centered around two sides of the same issue: the criticism of Bano's video and the administrative transfer soon after. Though the two events are close in timing and people have been debating this, the official transfer order does not mention the video or the complaint as the reason. It is up to the state government to determine if the two events were in part a coincidence or not.
