The Madhesh provincial government on Friday withdrew a bill on designating official languages for the province after it courted controversy.

The bill, which sparked widespread protests, was retracted following objections raised by lawmakers regarding the exclusion of several languages, including Tharu and Magahi.

During Friday’s session, Speaker Ramchandra Mandal proposed the withdrawal, which was passed unanimously by the provincial assembly.

The Chief Minister’s Office sent a letter to the assembly secretariat earlier on the day, formally requesting the bill’s withdrawal in line with a Cabinet decision.

Education Minister Rani Kumari Tiwari, who had tabled the bill earlier in the week, presented a proposal to withdraw it on Friday. Most assembly members opposed the bill during Thursday’s session, and protests continued inside and outside the assembly.