Last respects to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Halakarshana festival, and more Kolkata news in pictures

People pay last respects to former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday. He passed away at his Palm Avenue residence around 8.30am. Bhattacharjee was 80

The National Flag in various sizes and other Tricolour-embossed knick-knacks on sale at Old China Bazar Street in Burrabazar ahead of Independence Day

Bengali writer Jaya Mitra and acting vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati Arabinda Mondal plough a field as a customary gesture to mark the 97th Halakarshana festival at Sriniketan in Birbhum district on Thursday

Bandhan Bank managing director and interim chief executive officer Ratan Kumar Kesh and executive director and Rajinder Kumar Babbar hand over a memento to Leander Paes in Kolkata on Thursday to celebrate his induction in the International Tennis Hall of Fame

(Top) The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bengal Heritage Foundation, UK, and British Deputy High Commission organised a panel discussion on 'Dwarkanath Tagore: Visionary of a New Era' on August 8. Present at the event were (from L-R) Subrata Paul, corporate adviser and independent director, adviser to Simplex Infrastructure Ltd. and independent director, BTL EPC Ltd, president of Indo British Scholars’ Association; G M Kapur, state convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH); Barun Chandra, renowned actor and author; Suranjan Som, chairperson, Bengal Heritage Foundation, UK; Amit Guha, general secretary, Bengal Heritage Foundation, UK; Arunava Bardhan, director, Adamas UK; Sreedip Roy, partner, Bengal Jewellery LLP. (Bottom) Prabuddha Raha also put up a musical performance on the occasion

An artisan carves a big crown from thermocol at Dompara off Chittaranjan Avenue on Thursday for the ensuing wedding season

Durga Puja pandal being built at Paschim Putiary Udayan Sangha Club in their platinum jubilee year