During East Bengal vs Namdhari FC, Durand Cup 2025 match, East Bengal fans unfurled a tifo protesting against attacks on the Bengali language.
The tifo protested that Bengali language speakers were termed "Bangladeshi".
During the match, East Bengal won 1-0 against Namdhari FC during the Group A fixture.
During the Durand Cup 2025 Group A clash against Namdhari FC, East Bengal fans unfurled a tifo at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, protesting attacks on the Bengali language and speakers across the country.
In a defiant display during the match, the East Bengal Ultras displayed a large banner that read, “Yesterday, we were hanged fighting for India’s freedom. And today, for speaking our mother tongue, we become Bangladeshi?”
Sharing the photo of the tifo on their social media, the East Bengal Ultras wrote, “Our hearts are wounded and torn by the intense anti-Bengali activities happening all around. The honour of our mother tongue lies trampled today. Staying silent would be tantamount to betrayal.”
The protest seems to have stemmed from the controversy involving a letter issued by Delhi Police that referred to Bengali as “the Bangladeshi national language”. The letter, linked to a Foreigners Act investigation involving eight detainees, was addressed to the officer-in-charge of Banga Bhawan, West Bengal’s official guest house in the capital.
In it, Delhi Police requested a translator for Bengali, but referred to it as “Bangladeshi”. It drew immediate backlash, including from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Additionally, Bengali speakers have been targeted across the country. Migrant workers from the state have faced police questioning, sudden checks at their homes, and arbitrary arrests under suspicion of being illegal foreigners.
East Bengal supporters have a long history of being involved in protests. Even when agitation broke out against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the RG Kar rape case, and others, the Calcutta-based club’s fans were at the forefront of the protests.
During the protest against CAA in 2019, the Ultras unfurled a tifo that read, “Land bought with blood, not with paper.”
On the pitch, East Bengal defeated Namdhari FC 1-0, with new signing Hamid Ahadad scoring the only goal with a header in the 68th minute. With the win, the Torch Bearers went top of Group A with six points.
