Agartala, Dec —
Tripura Legislative Assembly Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen passed away in the early hours of Friday at a hospital in Bengaluru. He was 72. According to sources, Sen breathed his last around 3:30 am while undergoing treatment at Aster CMI Hospital, where he had been admitted for a prolonged period due to serious illness.
Bishwabandhu Sen fell critically ill on August 8 this year, following which he was shifted outside the state for advanced medical care. Despite sustained treatment and medical efforts, his condition did not improve, leading to his demise in Bengaluru.
Born on May 23, 1953, in Dharmanagar of North Tripura district, Bishwabandhu Sen hailed from a respected family. His father was Kali Mohan Sen and his mother was Pratibha Rani Sen. Known for his deep understanding of legislative procedures and calm demeanour, Sen enjoyed a long and eventful political career in the state.
He began his political journey as a Congress MLA. After the 2013 Tripura Assembly elections, he left the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress. In 2017, he switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Subsequently, he contested the 2018 Assembly elections on a BJP ticket and secured a decisive victory. He later assumed office as the Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly.
The mortal remains of the late Speaker will be brought to Agartala from Bengaluru on Saturday. In recognition of his service to the state, the Tripura government has announced three days of state mourning starting Friday and continuing till December 28. As part of the mourning observance, all educational institutions across the state remained closed on Friday. His last rites will be performed on Saturday with full state honours.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed deep grief over Sen’s demise. In a social media post, he said the untimely passing of the Speaker is an irreparable loss for the people of Tripura and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, relatives, and supporters.
