Longest-serving Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim dies

He had been suffering from cardiac problems for the last few years. On Monday, Halim complained of chest pain after returning from a morning walk and was immediately shifted to a nursing home where he breathed his last at 10.10 am, his son Fuad said.

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Halim’s daughter-in-law, Saira Shah Alam, said: “He has just passed away, we are trying to come to terms with the sudden loss. Please pray for his soul and our family so that we can overcome this difficult time.”

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to twitter to offer condolences. “Deepest condolences to the family of long-serving former Speaker of WB Assembly Hashim Abdul Halim. Speaker Biman Banerjee is paying condolences. As I am not in Kolkata, Partha Chatterjee will be paying condolences,” she said.

Halim, also a much-respected lawyer, had served as the state’s law and justice minister from 1977 to 1982 under the Left rule. In 1982, he was elected the Speaker. He was the MLA for Amdanga from 1977 to 2006, when he shifted to Entally constituency. He was the MLA from Entally until 2011. While serving in numerous departments and committees of West Bengal, Halim had also represented the state at numerous seminars in India and abroad. He was also the chairman of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and president of World Federation of United Nations Association.

The Governor, in his condolence message, recalled his long association with Halim. “I am deeply grieved to learn about the sad demise of Hashim Abdul Halim, a leader of the democratic movement and former Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. He was my friend, having worked together in several Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conferences. His death is a personal loss to me,” Tripathi said.

Leaders cutting across political lines condoled Halim’s death and remembered him as a gentleman whose death, they said, created a vacuum in parliamentary democracy.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, in a series of tweets, said: “Lal Salaam… Comrade Hashim Abdul Halim.

Served longest as Speaker of West Bengal Assembly. Remained strong pillar of support in maintaining communal harmony.” In another tweet, Yechury said, “Steered with statesmanship, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as Chairman of its executive committee.” CPM MP Mohammed Selim dubbed Halim as a “legendary figure” in legislative history and “man of the masses”. The party lauded Halim for serving the party with “utmost dedication and sincerity” ever since he joined the outfit in 1964. He was elected to party’s West Bengal committee in 1985 and continued till the last state conference after which he became a special invitee.

Senior Congress leader Manas Bhunia said Halim had created an example of how a Speaker should perform rising above the party line.

With PTI inputs