West Bengal IPS officer Bushra Bano has been at the centre of a controversy following a video in which she spoke about her journey towards clearing the Union Public Service Commission examination. Bano, a 2021-batch IPS officer, discussed her preparation and the role played by Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy in her UPSC journey

The video became controversial because of the religious expressions used by Bano while speaking about her personal journey. She began the video with “Assalamualaikum”, used the expression “InshaAllah” while discussing her journey and concluded with “JazakAllah”. After the video circulated on social media, some users and organisations raised objections to the use of these expressions by a serving police officer in uniform. 

The controversy subsequently widened, with questions being raised about the manner in which government officials should communicate publicly while holding an official position. Some social media users questioned why national expressions such as “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram” were not used in the video. These were criticisms made by social media users and organisations and do not represent an official finding against Bano. 

Amid the controversy, an organisation identified as the Hindu Legal Fund claimed that it had complained to the West Bengal Home Secretary regarding the video. The complaint reportedly raised questions about neutrality and the use of religious expressions in public communication by a serving government officer. 

On September 14, 2026, Bushra Bano was transferred from her position as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur. She was posted as Deputy Commandant in the state armed police. The transfer came shortly after the video controversy had gained attention on social media.

At the same time, an important distinction needs to be made. The publicly reported transfer order did not mention Bano’s video or the controversy surrounding it as the reason for the transfer. Therefore, the timing has led to public discussion about whether the two developments were connected, but the available official order does not establish that the video was the formal reason for her transfer. 

The controversy has also brought attention to Bushra Bano’s personal and professional journey. According to reports, she studied at Aligarh Muslim University and had an academic career in Saudi Arabia before returning to India and pursuing a career in civil services. She cleared the UPSC examination more than once and was selected for the Indian Police Service in 2021. 

Her video was originally intended to discuss her UPSC preparation and experiences. She spoke about the support she received during her preparation and the role of the Residential Coaching Academy at Aligarh Muslim University. However, after the video was circulated widely, the discussion shifted from her examination journey to the religious expressions she used during the video.

The episode has now triggered a wider public discussion about religious expressions, personal identity and official communication by civil servants. Supporters and critics have interpreted the episode differently, while some political figures have also commented on the transfer. Such political reactions represent the views of the respective individuals and parties rather than an established finding about the reason for the transfer. 

For the moment, the two developments can be established separately: Bano’s UPSC video generated criticism over the religious expressions used in it, and she was subsequently transferred from her Kharagpur posting to the state armed police. The official transfer order, however, does not identify the video controversy as the reason for the administrative decision.