Ex-Bengal deputy speaker Ashis Banerjee found dead at TMC office in Birbhum, suicide note recovered

A purported suicide note has also been recovered from the TMC office which located near Ashis Banerjee's residence in Rampurhat, police said.

Updated on: Aug 16, 2026, 09:14:47 IST

By HT News Desk

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Former deputy speaker of Bengal assembly Ashis Banerjee was found dead at the Trinamool Congress office near his residence in Rampurhat in Birbhum on Sunday morning, police said, news agency PTI reported.

TMC's Ashis Banerjee was found dead at TMC office in Birbhum (Facebook)

A purported suicide note has also been recovered from the party office and his dead body has been sent for post-mortem examination, police said. The exact circumstances leading to his death are yet to be ascertained.

The TMC MLA had resigned from the post of chairman of party's Birbhum district core committee in June this year, weeks after the Mamata Banerjee-led party faced crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP in assembly elections.

Ashis also lost his seat in the polls after serving as a deputy speaker of the Bengal assembly during the TMC's last stint. He was a five-time MLA and represented Rampurhat in the state Assembly continuously from 2001 till 2026.

He had served as the deputy speaker of the Assembly and held ministerial portfolios, including school education and agriculture, in the Mamata Banerjee government.

He contested the 2026 Assembly elections from Rampurhat on a TMC ticket but lost to BJP's Dhruva Saha by more than 24,000 votes.

Disclaimer: Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.

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HT News Desk
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