IPS Officer Bushra Bano Transferred After ‘Assalamualaikum’, ‘Inshallah’ in Video Sparks Social Media Row

IPS officer Bushra Bano, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Kharagpur, was transferred on Monday and appointed as deputy commandant of the state armed police. The transfer came days after a video she posted encouraging UPSC aspirants sparked criticism on social media.

In the video posted on September 13, Bano, a 2021-batch IPS officer, spoke about her journey and how Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) helped her prepare for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

Several users on X criticised the IPS officer for not using “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram” in the video. An X handle, Hindu Legal Fund, claimed it had complained to the Bengal home secretary over the video. It alleged: “She began with Assalamualaikum, used Inshallah, ended with Jazakallah—and did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind. A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication. Seeking appropriate review and action.” IAS Reshuffles in West Bengal: Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in State; 17 Indian Administrative Service Officers Transferred.

The state government also transferred Partha Ghosh as Additional SP, Kharagpur, and Subhendu Mondal as Additional DC, Chandannagar Police Commissionerate.

IPS Officer Bushra Bano Transfer: Bengal Cop Moved Days After UPSC Aspirants Video Draws Social Media Criticism

Bushra Bano left her job in Saudi Arabia, cleared the UPSC Civil Services exam twice and went on to become an IPS officer.

In one of her statements, she began with Assalamualaikum, used Inshallah while speaking and ended with Jazakallah. pic.twitter.com/4StmFjgO2l

— qpzm news (@qpzmnews) September 13, 2026

Bushra Bano’s Journey From Saudi Arabia to IPS

Bano recently released a video sharing her journey from Saudi Arabia to one of India’s most prestigious government services. Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district, she graduated from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and earned a PhD in management studies. She also cleared the National Eligibility Test Junior Research Fellowship.

Marriage and family responsibilities did not stop her from pursuing her career. Bano worked as an assistant professor in Saudi Arabia for several years before returning to India with the aim of clearing the UPSC examination. West Bengal: New BJP Government Orders Crackdown on Cow Smuggling; Surveillance Increased To Shut Down Illegal Markets.

“AMU’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) helped me tremendously by providing me with study materials and access to their library. Their test series also helped in my preparations,” she says.

Bushra Bano Cleared UPSC Twice

Bano first cleared the UPSC examination in 2018, securing 277th rank and being allotted the Indian Railway Traffic Service. However, she could not take up the posting as she was pregnant with her second child.

She appeared for the UPSC examination again the following year and secured 234th rank, earning selection to the Indian Police Service. She was allotted the West Bengal cadre as a 2021-batch IPS officer.

Bano began her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Hooghly Rural. In June this year, she was promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP) and was posted in Kharagpur before Monday’s transfer.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2026 10:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).