Former Bengal Minister Abdur Razzak Mollah Passes Away At 80; CM Mamata Banerjee Mourns Loss
Former West Bengal minister and veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abdur Razzak Mollah passed away at his ancestral home in South 24 Parganas district on Friday morning. The octogenarian, who had been suffering from age-related ailments, breathed his last at his residence in Bankri village in the Bhangar area, according to party sources.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences, stating that Mollah’s demise has created a significant void in the political landscape of the state.
“I am saddened and shocked by the passing of my colleague, Abdur Razzak Mollah. He was my colleague in the state cabinet. I respected and honoured him,” Banerjee said in a post on X.
“His knowledge and experience in Bengal’s rural life, agricultural economy, and land reform were well-known. That’s why, even though he once practised politics of a different ideology, it was easy and natural for him to join the ‘Ma-Mati-Manush’ (Mother, Land, People) government. His death created an irreplaceable void in the political life of Bengal,” she added.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, countless followers, and well-wishers,” the Chief Minister said.
Abdur Razzak Mollah's Political Journey
Mollah served as the Minister for Land and Land Reforms during the tenure of the previous Left Front government. He was elected from the Canning Purba constituency from 1977 to 2011.
In February 2014, the CPI(M) West Bengal state committee expelled Mollah for anti-party activities, following which he launched a new political outfit — the Bharatiya Naybichar Party (BNP). However, he was later expelled from the BNP for aligning with the ruling TMC.
Ahead of the 2016 assembly elections, Mollah joined the Trinamool Congress and successfully contested the Bhangar seat as a TMC candidate. Following his victory, he was appointed the Minister of Food Processing in the state government.
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