Ex-Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury dies at 89

KOLKATA : Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury died in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, his family said.

Choudhury, popularly known as Dalu, was 89. He is survived by wife and a son, Congress's Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury.

His death marks the end of an era in the politics of Malda district, where he remained a key figure for decades.

Choudhury, a veteran Congressman, had been suffering from multiple age-related complications. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata late on Wednesday, his family said.

The last rites will be performed in Malda on Thursday.

Born on January 12, 1938, into the prominent Khan Choudhury family of Malda, Dalu Choudhury entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother, the venerable ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, also a former Union minister.

After his brother's demise, he emerged as the principal political figure in the family and played a crucial role in maintaining the Congress's hold over the district.

He served as an MLA of the Kaliachak assembly constituency from 1996 to 2006 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Malda Dakshin for three consecutive terms since 2009.

He was the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

In recent years, he had stayed away from active politics due to ill health and did not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, passing over the mantle to his son, Isha.

His niece, Mausam Benazir Noor, is contesting the upcoming assembly elections from Malatipur on a Congress ticket.