Former West Bengal minister and veteran Trinamool Congress leader Ujjal Biswas passed away on Wednesday at a private hospital in Kolkata after a protracted illness. He was 72.
Biswas had spent three weeks under intensive medical care, remaining on full ventilator support during his final days as multiple organ complications escalated. His death followed a sharp downward spiral that began when he suffered a brain stroke shortly after undergoing cardiac bypass surgery. On Tuesday, a medical bulletin issued by his attending physicians had categorized his clinical condition as exceptionally critical.
Biswas fought for weeks. His body gave up on Wednesday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the death of her long-time cabinet colleague, expressing profound personal grief while recalling their decades-long association across state politics.
He was far more than a colleague in public life. We shared a close and enduring bond built over many years," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated. "As a former Minister, MLA and a dedicated member of the Trinamool Congress family, he devoted his life to the party and, above all, to the service of the people. His unwavering loyalty, commitment and years of selfless service made him an invaluable part of our family. His passing is a deeply personal loss and leaves a void that cannot be filled.
Biswas's hospitalization brought to light months of deteriorating health that had intensified following an acute medical crisis. After surgeons completed a bypass procedure, the subsequent stroke inflicted severe neurological and physiological damage, triggering a succession of secondary medical complications that specialists struggled to arrest.
By late Tuesday evening, doctors warned that his vitals were sliding rapidly. Despite continuous resuscitation protocols in the critical care unit, he succumbed early Wednesday.
| Medical & Case Parameter | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Patient | Ujjal Biswas (Former Bengal Cabinet Minister & MLA) |
| Age at Passing | 72 |
| Medical Facility | Private Hospital, Kolkata |
| Primary Complications | Brain stroke following bypass surgery; multi-organ distress |
| Intensive Care Duration | 3 weeks (ventilator support in final days) |
| Pre-demise Custody Duration | 49 days behind bars |
Beyond his clinical battles, Biswas's final months were engulfed in bitter political crossfire. The former minister had been arrested and spent 49 days imprisoned in connection with a case concerning relief materials, an episode his party denounced as state-directed persecution.
Banerjee directly linked Biswas's physical breakdown to the stress of that incarceration and what she characterized as targeted coercion by the Bharatiya Janata Party. She recounted meeting Biswas shortly after his release, where he described enduring relentless intimidation after refusing to switch political allegiances.
He was brutally attacked a few months ago. He was kept behind bars for 49 days, implicated in false cases and subjected to immense physical and mental suffering," Banerjee said. "His suffering is a chilling reminder of the politics of vengeance, intimidation and persecution that the BJP has unleashed in Bengal. When political loyalty becomes a reason for persecution, when false cases are weaponised to break people's spirit, and when those who refuse to surrender are made to suffer, it is democracy itself that stands wounded.
Trinamool Congress party leadership and family members are finalizing arrangements for party colleagues and constituents to pay their final respects before state honors and last rites are conducted in Kolkata.