The Bengal government has appointed Trinamul Congress leader Tapan Dasgupta as the chairperson of Furfura Sharif Development Authority in Hooghly district.

The Hooghly district magistrate had been appointed as the administrator of the authority that was created to oversee the development of the place of Muslim pilgrimage ever since Trinamul leader Firhad Hakim had vacated the chairman’s post in 2021.

“There were several complaints as development work at Furfura Sharif had hit a hurdle following the absence of proper leadership. Development of the area has become an important issue after Nawsad Siddique of the ISF became an MLA,” said a Trinamul leader in Hooghly.

Siddique belongs to the family of Muslim clerics at Furfura Sharif.

Dasgupta, who is the Trinamul MLA of Saptagram, said he had been appointed to the post with some assignments from chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“I will try to execute the assignments given by the chief minister. The assignment is related to the development of the area,” said Dasgupta, a former president of Trinamul’s Hooghly district committee, who visited Furfura Sharif on Wednesday afternoon. Hakim was also with him.

Sources in Trinamul said Dasgupta’s appointment, which comes after the controversy over Siddique’s arrest and his long incarceration, was significant as many inside the party considered the act by the cops might have had an adverse reaction among minorities, especially among those owing allegiance to Furfura Sharif.

“Dasgupta is an old guard of the party and he is one of those who built the Trinamul’s base in the district. His appointment will help the party to mend hurt sentiment, if any,” said a Trinamul leader.

A section of Trinamul leaders also considered Dasgupta’s appointment was important as Mamata had recently instructed a few seniors to examine the causes of the party’s defeat in the Sagardighi Assembly bypoll.

She has asked several Muslim leaders to assess the reason for the party’s loss in a constituency with around 65 per cent Muslim populace.