What it means
بخشنامه (bakhshnâme) is a compound of two pure Persian words: بخش (bakhsh, section or division) and نامه (nâme, letter or document). Together they describe an official directive that a ministry, government body, or large institution sends downward to all its sections at once. In practical terms it is closer to a circular memo than a simple letter: it carries authority, it goes to many recipients simultaneously, and it is numbered for the record. A close near-synonym is دستورالعمل (dastorolâmal, operational instruction), though that usually means a set of procedural rules rather than a specific order issued on a date.
How to use it
- بخشنامهای از وزارت رسید. (bakhshnâme-i az vezârat resid.) “A circular from the ministry arrived.”
- طبق بخشنامه، مرخصیها تغییر کرده. (tabq-e bakhshnâme, morakhasi-hâ taghyir karde.) “According to the directive, leave policies have changed.”
- این بخشنامه به همه ادارات ابلاغ شد. (in bakhshnâme be hame edârât ablâgh shod.) “This circular was officially communicated to all offices.”
- بخشنامه جدید رو خوندی؟ (bakhshnâme-ye jadid ro khundi?) “Have you read the new directive?”
Cultural note
In Iran’s heavily centralized administrative system, the بخشنامه is one of the main instruments by which ministries communicate binding instructions to lower-level offices, schools, hospitals, and municipalities. A single بخشنامه from the Ministry of Education can change examination rules for millions of students overnight. Because these documents multiply constantly and often contradict earlier ones, the phrase “طبق بخشنامه” (tabq-e bakhshnâme, according to the directive) is both an official justification and a mild source of workplace humor.