Former Bengal minister Abdur Razzak Mollah dies, Mamata expresses condolences

Kolkata: Former Bengal minister and veteran leader Abdur Razzak Mollah died at his ancestral house in South 24-Parganas’ Bankri village in the Bhangar area. He was 80.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mourned his death calling it ‘irreplaceable void’ in Bengal politics. Banerjee expressed deep grief over Mollah’s demise, recalling his contributions to Bengal’s rural and agrarian landscape.

“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 on X. The Chief Minister also said that Mollah’s knowledge and experience in the agricultural economy demands appreciation.

“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’ government,” Banerjee said on social media, calling his death an “irreplaceable void in the political life of Bengal.”

“Due to the sad demise of Abdur Razzak Mollah, all state government offices, educational institutions, urban and local bodies, corporation, undertakings and other grant-in-aid institutions will be closed for half-day today from 2 pm onward for paying homage and respect to the departed soul,” the state government said in an official order on Friday.

Mollah had served as the minister for Land and Land Reforms during the Left Front regime and represented the Canning Purba seat from 1977 to 2011. He had joined Trinamool Congress later on. He had been ailing due to age-related complications.

In 2014, he was expelled from CPI(M) over “anti-party activities” and soon floated the Bharatiya Nayabichar Party (BNP). He was later expelled from the BNP as well for aligning with the ruling Trinamool Congress. Ahead of the 2016 assembly elections, Mollah officially joined TMC and won the Bhangar seat, following which he was inducted as the Minister for Food Processing. He is survived by his family and condolences have poured in from across the political spectrum.