Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Saturday wrote to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to provide a “suitable job” to the widow of Mridul Islam, a party leader who died soon after a Congress-organised protest in the city three days ago.

The Opposition party, on its own, has pledged financial assistance of ₹25 lakh to the affected family.

Borah sent the letter a day after he and other Congress leaders were detained for nearly seven hours by the city police to stop them from taking out a march to Janata Bhavan seeking justice for Islam.

Islam was an advocate and had died soon after participating in the Congress’s Raj Bhavan Chalo programme on Wednesday afternoon due to what the Congress claimed was “excessive and indiscriminate” use of tear gas.

Borah’s letter said: “Whatever our political differences, the death of a political worker in the service of democracy, at the hands of the state machinery, is a matter of great tragedy. Sri Islam leaves behind an unemployed widow, Hamida Parbin, and two
small children.”

He then requested Sarma to “grant a suitable government job” to Parbin “on compassionate grounds” in her home district of Kamrup based on her educational qualifications. She has cleared her Class XII in the arts stream and has two minor daughters.

Islam was associated with the PCC’s legal cell and Digital Bahini.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have also called Islam’s family, “comforting them and pledging Congress’s unwavering support”. Thousands had turned up for Islam’s funeral on Thursday.

The state Congress has been vocal against the “excessive use of force” to curb peaceful protests and had declared Islam, 45, as the “first martyr” of the Congress’s ongoing fight against the BJP for allegedly shielding “corrupt entities” like Gautam Adani, its “apathy towards” the Manipur crisis and the “unjust and exploitative” installation of smart electricity meters.

Apart from the letter requesting government help for Islam’s widow, a statement issued by Naba Jyoti Talukdar, Assam PCC vice-president and media in-charge, said the party has also announced immediate relief of ₹25 lakh, raised through collective donation of Congress MPs, MLAs and workers “to support the martyr’s family”.

The party is also taking “complete responsibility” for the education of Islam’s two daughters.

“The martyrdom of Mridul Islam highlights the length to which this regime will go to silence dissent. We will not rest until justice is served for his family and until this oppressive regime is held accountable for its actions,” the statement said, quoting PCC president Borah.