Former Deputy Speaker and ex-Bengal minister found dead: who is Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee, a doctorate holder and retired associate professor at Rampurhat College, was a familiar face in Rampurhat politics. (Special Arrangement) 4 min readKolkataAug 16, 2026 04:37 PM IST First published on: Aug 16, 2026 at 04:37 PM IST Asish Banerjee, former West Bengal Deputy Speaker and a five-time MLA from Rampurhat who spent nearly 25 years in electoral politics, was found hanging at his residence in Hattalapara, Rampurhat, on Sunday morning. He was 74. Police said a handwritten note was found near his body. Banerjee, a doctorate holder and retired associate professor at Rampurhat College, was a familiar face in Rampurhat politics. He first won the Rampurhat seat as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate and held it until 2026, when he lost to BJP’s Dhruba Saha by 24,233 votes.