One paper that everyone has to write at least once
A leave application at school. A leave request at the office. A request to change account details at the bank. A complaint about a meter at the electricity office.
Four different things said in four places, but the paper looks the same. Once this one shape is in your head, you never have to ask anyone again.
Most people get stuck in two places. One, which part comes first and which comes after. Two, how long the main point should be. The answer to the first is a list. The answer to the second is one line: the shorter, the better.
Six parts, each with its own job
A dorkhasto has six parts, and the order does not change.
| Part | Where it goes | What it does |
| Date | At the very top, on the left | Proof of when you submitted it |
| The receiver | Under the date | Who it is going to, their designation and address |
| Subject | Just before the salutation | The whole request in one line |
| Salutation | Under the subject | Janab (Sir), Sir or Madam |
| The main message | In the middle | Reason, period, request |
| The sender's part | At the bottom, right or left | Signature, name, class or post, roll or ID |
The one left out most is the subject. Yet a person who looks at forty applications a day reads that one line first. Without a subject, they have to read the whole paper to understand what it is about, and nobody wants to do that.
How to write the subject line so it works
Wrong: Subject: Application for leave.
Right: Subject: Application for three days of sick leave.
The difference is the number and the reason. After the first, you still have to find out how many days and why. After the second, you can decide straight away.
The same rule applies in every case:
- Subject: Application for a testimonial
- Subject: Application for a duplicate copy of the salary receipt
- Subject: Application for repair of the classroom fan
One full sample: a leave application at school
The sample below is not for copying word for word, it is to show the mould. Put in your own name, date and reason.
This is a Bangla sample of a three day sick leave application from a class nine student to the headmaster. It keeps Bangla digits, as a real Bangla letter does, and a short English gloss follows each part.
1. The date, at the very top, on the left:
৯ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২৬
(9 September 2026)
2. The receiver, each on its own line, one under the other:
বরাবর প্রধান শিক্ষক আদর্শ উচ্চ বিদ্যালয় মিরপুর, ঢাকা
(To the Headmaster, Adarsha High School, Mirpur, Dhaka)
3. The subject, in bold or underlined:
বিষয়: তিন দিনের অসুস্থতাজনিত ছুটির জন্য আবেদন।
(Subject: Application for three days of sick leave.)
4. The salutation:
জনাব,
(Sir,)
5. The main message, two paragraphs:
যথাবিহিত সম্মান প্রদর্শনপূর্বক জানাচ্ছি যে, আমি আপনার বিদ্যালয়ের নবম শ্রেণির একজন নিয়মিত ছাত্র। গত ৭ সেপ্টেম্বর থেকে আমি জ্বরে আক্রান্ত হয়ে শয্যাশায়ী আছি। ডাক্তার আমাকে তিন দিন সম্পূর্ণ বিশ্রামে থাকার পরামর্শ দিয়েছেন।
এমতাবস্থায়, ৯ সেপ্টেম্বর থেকে ১১ সেপ্টেম্বর পর্যন্ত তিন দিনের ছুটি মঞ্জুর করে আমাকে বাধিত করবেন। ডাক্তারের ব্যবস্থাপত্রের একটি অনুলিপি সাথে সংযুক্ত করা হলো।
(With due respect, I am a regular student of class nine. I have been in bed with fever since 7 September, and the doctor has advised three days of complete rest. I therefore request leave for three days, from 9 to 11 September. A copy of the prescription is attached.)
6. The sender's part, each on its own line:
বিনীত নিবেদক আপনার একান্ত অনুগত ছাত্র মোঃ রফিকুল ইসলাম শ্রেণি: নবম, শাখা: ক রোল: ১৪
(Your obedient student, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Class: Nine, Section: A, Roll: 14)
Notice that the main message is two paragraphs. The first has the identity and the reason, the second has exactly which date to which date, and the request. A third paragraph was not needed, because there was nothing more to say.
What changes in an office application
The structure stays the same, and three things change.
The salutation and language are a little less formal. "With due respect" (যথাবিহিত সম্মান প্রদর্শনপূর্বক) is the custom of schools and government offices. In a private office it is natural to start straight with "Sir, I work in the ... department".
A designation and employee ID are added. The bottom part has the designation, department and ID number beside the name, so it is easy to find in the register.
A line on handing over duties has to be added. This is the one left out most, yet whether the leave is granted often hangs on it. In one line, write who will look after the work in your absence, and whether you have spoken to them.
The mistakes that happen most
| Mistake | Why it is a problem | What to do instead |
| Two requests in one application | One is granted and the other gets lost | Two separate papers |
| No date | There is no proof of when you submitted it | Always a date at the top |
| "As soon as possible" | Nobody knows when it is needed | Write a specific date |
| A long introduction | The real point moves to the third paragraph | The reason in the first sentence |
| Describing feelings | Does not help in making the decision | Write the event, not the feeling |
| Not mentioning the attachments | The papers come apart, and nobody joins them | Write "Attached: ..." at the end |
The last one needs a word. If you send a doctor's paper, a copy of exam results or a copy of an earlier letter with it, write inside the application what you are enclosing. If the papers get separated, at least it is written that they were there.
Write by hand or on a computer
A school leave application is usually written by hand, and that is normal. In an exam paper there is no way except by hand.
For an office, bank or government office, it is better to write it on a computer and print it, for two reasons. One, you keep a copy yourself. Two, if you need the same application again, you only change the date.
If you write by hand, keep three things in mind: no more than one page, leave at least one inch blank on the left, and if you cross something out, start again on a new sheet. A letter full of crossings-out makes an impression before anyone reads it.
An application in an exam paper
In Bangladesh a dorkhasto is not only a practical document, it is also an exam question. And in exams, marks are usually lost in the structure, not the language.
Where marks go:
- The subject line missing or unclear
- The receiver's address incomplete, such as the name of the institution without the area
- The class or roll not written in the sender's part
- No date
- Going past the one page limit
You do not need to memorise anything. If you can put the six parts in order, the marks for structure are all there, and if the language is simple, the rest comes by itself.
What to keep in mind when you have AI write it
Many people now have ChatGPT or an assistant like it write the application. It does the job well, but there are three cautions.
First, put in your own details yourself. If AI does not know a name, roll, date or the name of an institution, it guesses and puts something in, and that is the most common place where it says something wrong with confidence. When it is finished, check the numbers yourself.
Second, say clearly what you want. If you say "write a leave application", you get a general paper. If you say to whom, at which institution, from which date to which date, what the reason is, and whether there are attachments, what comes is ready to print. How to say it clearly is written up separately in the rules for writing a good prompt.
Third, keep the language your own. If very stiff Bangla comes out, change it. The person who reads it knows you, and language that suddenly changes gets noticed.
In the BanglaCodes chat, in the "More" menu under the writing box, there is a button called Application letter. When you press it, an application is made in both Bangla and English, following the six parts above, and you can download it as a PDF. This works on the free Model, at no extra cost.
If you would rather have it made than write it yourself, start from the page that writes a dorkhasto for you: to whom, for what reason and when is all you need to say.
For a letter or email in English, open the English letter and email page.
Questions and answers
Are a dorkhasto and an abedonpotro the same thing? The paper is the same, and the name comes two ways. The word dorkhasto is used more in schools and everyday speech, and abedonpotro in somewhat more formal places. In English both are "application". There is no difference in structure.
Should I write a dorkhasto in Bangla or in English? In the language the institution uses for its letters. Bangla is normal in Bangla medium schools, government offices and most local offices. English is right for a multinational office, or where the appointment letter was in English. If in doubt, look at the language of the last letter you received.
Do I have to write "with due respect"? It is not required, but it is the familiar custom of schools and government offices, and in an exam paper it is expected. If you write it, that one line is enough, and then move to plain language. Putting heavy words through the whole application makes it hard to read.
How long should a dorkhasto be? One page, and the main message two to three paragraphs. The person who reads it has many more papers on the desk. A short application is not rude, it is in fact the polite thing.
Can I make two requests together? Avoid it. One subject in one application, because two requests usually go to two people in two places. One gets granted, the other lies somewhere, and you do not even find out which.
How far ahead should a leave application be given? As early as possible if you know in advance, at least a week. If you cannot give notice, because of a sudden illness or an emergency, let them know by phone or message, and hand in the paper on the day you come back. Write that in one line on the paper too.
If there is a mistake in a handwritten application, can I fix it by crossing out? Nobody minds one or two small crossings-out, but if there are more than three, write it again on a new sheet. Avoid scratching out especially in the date, name or numbers, because those are what count as proof later.
Do I need a CV with a job application? Yes, and the two do different jobs. The letter says which post you are writing for and why you fit. The CV says what you have done. Do not write the CV's points again in the letter. The CV's formats and parts are written up separately in the rules for writing a CV.
Can anyone tell if an application was written with AI? It gets noticed if the language suddenly changes or is over-polished, especially by someone who has seen your earlier writing. The easy way to avoid this is to take the structure from the AI and write the reason part in your own language.
In short
- Six parts, in the same order: date, receiver, subject, salutation, main message, sender
- With a number and a reason in the subject line, nobody has to read the whole paper to decide
- The main message is two to three paragraphs, with the reason and date in the first sentence
- An office needs extra: designation, ID and the line on who will look after the work
- One subject in one application, one page, the list of attachments at the end
- In exams, marks are lost in the structure, so understand the order instead of memorising it
- If you have AI write it, check the name, roll and date yourself, because that is where mistakes happen