Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee loved biryani, paratha and chaap, prepared at Osman’s home.

He would never allow his convoy to stop on the way, even when going long distances, and mostly kept quiet while in his car, the former chief minister’s driver for more than 30 years remembered on Thursday.

Md Osman, 68, had suffered a stroke in 2022, but he still paid a visit to his “Buddhada” at the former chief minister’s Palm Avenue flat on Thursday morning.

He no longer drives the white Ambassador, WB-02 0001, designated for Bhattacharjee when he helmed the state.

“Every Eid, we would prepare biriyani and ghol, which I would take to his home. Buddhada and his family members would love it,” said Osman.

Bhattacharjee would also ask for paratha at times. He was a small eater and would have one or two, Osman said sitting in his flat on Christopher Road.

Osman said he drove Bhattacharjee’s car for more than 30 years, even when he was not a minister in Jyoti Basu’s cabinet. Osman gave the car’s keys back to the pool when Bhattacharjee resigned in a huff from the cabinet in 1993.

Once he returned, Osman was back, too.

“After becoming chief minister, Buddhada’s routine was going to the party office on Alimuddin Street in the morning, and from there to Writers’ Buildings. He would return home for lunch around 1pm and again go to Writers’,” said Osman.

In the evening he would visit the party office again before returning home around 9pm.

On most days, he would visit Nandan, too, in the evening.

“I had taken him outside Calcutta on many occasions, mostly for party meetings. To places like Raiganj, Malda, Murshidabad and Diamond Harbour. Before going, he would ask me to tell the others in the convoy, security men and drivers of other cars, that no one should stop even to drink tea,” said Osman. He would like to drive straight to the destination. The instruction was the same while coming back.

“Buddhada would generally keep quiet in the car. At times, if I said something, he would give a look that would silence me. I was quite scared of him, though I loved him very much,” recounted Osman.

He could remember only one occasion when Bhattacharjee and Jyoti Basu rode together in his car.

“We were going to Alimuddin Street from Indira Bhavan (Basu’s official residence). Jyotibabu’s car developed a snag. Buddhada told me that Jyotibabu would go in our car. They were talking informally and not about politics,” Osman remembered.

Through the years, Osman saw Bhattacharjee in dhuti and panjabi. However, on one occasion, he saw him in a shirt and trousers.

“Buddhada was accompanying Promode Dasgupta (former CPM state secretary) to China. I dropped him at the airport. He was wearing a shirt and trousers,” he said.

The last time Osman saw Bhattacharjee was in May 2022, two months before suffering the stroke. Osman had retired from the state government job by then.

“I told Meera boudi to find another driver as I was planning to go back to my village. Then Buddhada was quite unwell,” he said.