Agartala, Jan 4 (AHN) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday that with the death of Tripura Assembly Speaker and veteran legislator Biswa Bandhu Sen, the state has lost a true public leader and a respected cultural figure.

He noted that Sen was known for his neutrality and dignified conduct in the State Assembly.

Addressing a condolence meeting, held in memory of the late leader at Nazrul Kalakshetra in Agartala, the Chief Minister said that Sen always played an impartial and constructive role in the Assembly.

"People of Tripura have lost a true public leader," Chief Minister Saha added.

At the age of 72, Tripura Assembly Speaker and four-time MLA Sen passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on December 26, 2025, after undergoing medical treatment for more than four-and-a-half months.

Reflecting on the inevitability of death, the Chief Minister remarked that while death is the ultimate truth, people often fail to accept it.

"There are many people who are not remembered after their death. Therefore, one should do such work that ensures they are remembered even after they are gone. Biswa Bandhu Sen was one such person," he said.

Chief Minister Saha recalled his long personal association with Sen, dating back to their student days at the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) College in 1971.

"During that time, incidents of murder, terrorism and bombings were common, and MBB College was not an ideal place for studies. Biswa Bandhu Sen lived in the hostel and we developed a close friendship," he said.

The Chief Minister also added that after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (in 2017), he was entrusted with organisational responsibilities that often took him to Dharmanagar, where Sen was the MLA.

"Whenever I met him (Sen), he would proudly introduce me to others as his friend. He was among the most dependable people I knew in Dharmanagar and always extended a helping hand," CM Saha said.

He also recalled that August 8 was the last time he met Sen, when they shared tea together.

"Later (on August 8 itself), I received the shocking news that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. He was first admitted to Tripura Medical College and later shifted to a private hospital through a Green Corridor. Despite urgent surgery and arrangements for advanced treatment outside the state, he ultimately succumbed to his illness," the Chief Minister said.

He added that Sen was a consistent opponent of Communist ideology and made significant contributions to the functioning of the State Assembly through his experience and principled stance.

The condolence meeting was attended by Tripurta BJP President and MP Rajib Bhattacharjee, State party Vice-President Subal Bhowmik, Papiya Dutta, Tapas Bhattacharjee, State Assembly's Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Pal, former Speaker and MLA Ratan Chakraborty, Ministers Sushanta Chowdhury, Tinku Roy and Kishore Barman, Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumdar, Chief Whip Kalyani Saha Roy, along with several other public representatives and eminent personalities.