New Speaker Biman Banerjee pays tribute to Mustafa bin Quasem in front of the Assembly. (Pradip Sanyal)

Calcutta, May 30: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee referred to Mustafa bin Quasem, the CPM MLA who committed suicide yesterday, in her speech in the Assembly this afternoon.

“Amar mone porche Mustafabhai er katha (I am remembering Mustafabhai). He could have been here today. Many of his works are still incomplete. I offer my sympathies to his family members and the CPM,” Mamata said at the end of her speech.

The chief minister had visited the MLA hostel at Kyd Street after hearing about Quasem’s death.

Biman Banerjee, the new Speaker, said he was “deeply aggrieved” at the CPM leader’s death. “One of our members is no longer with us.”

Quasem’s body was brought to the Assembly around noon. MLAs cutting across party lines placed wreathes on the body of the five-time MLA. Ministers Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Bakshi, and leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra were among those who paid tributes.

Quasem’s body was then taken to Alimuddin Street, where Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Biman Bose, Nirupam Sen and other party leaders paid homage.

Quasem’s body was handed over to his family members, who took it to his native Nehalpur village in North 24-Parganas this evening.

Spotlight on four

Quasem had written in his suicide note that four CPM leaders in North 24-Parganas had “forced” him to contest the polls this time despite knowing about his illness, investigators probing his death said.

“The names were mentioned in the last line of the note in which he cited failing health as the reason for committing suicide. He wrote that despite knowing about his illness, these four leaders had forced him to contest the elections,” said an officer of Park Street police station.

CPM state secretary Bose said the “state unit”, not individual leaders, had taken the decision that Quasem should contest.

He said the leadership was “not aware” of Quasem’s kidney ailment. “We didn’t know that he was suffering from a kidney ailment. He had some problem in his legs. Whatever be his health condition, he always obeyed the party’s decisions. He was very popular. He used to come to Alimuddin Street every week,” Bose said.