Former cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP from Behrampore Lok Sabha constituency Yusuf Pathan on Sunday (January 18, 2026) visited the house of a migrant worker from Beldanga in the State’s Murshidabad district who was killed in Jharkhand a few days ago.
Mr. Pathan along with Beladanga MLA Hasanuzzaman Sheikh visited the house of Alauddin Sheikh and met with family members of the deceased. He assured financial support for the education of the children of the deceased migrant worker.
The visit by the cricketer-turned-politician to the house of a deceased migrant worker hailing from his constituency comes at the instructions of party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The MP faced questions from the locals and media persons about his absence over the past few days, when the region had witnessed violence and vandalism over the attacks on migrants. Mr. Pathan said that people were provoked by misinformation, and party workers were in contact with the family members of the deceased migrant worker.
The Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who held a public meeting in the district on Friday (January 16), had also told media persons that Yusuf Pathan will visit the family after the situation improves.
Beldanga in Murshidabad was on the boil on Thursday (January 15) and Friday (January 16), over the attack on migrant workers including the death of Alauddin Sheikh. The protesters had blocked National Highway 12 and railway tracks. Public vehicles including railway property were attacked and dozens of people including two journalists were also assaulted by the mob.
On Friday (January 16) afternoon, Murshidabad District Police swung into action and cleared the mob by resorting to baton charge. About 30 persons were arrested for the violence and attack on media persons.
Murshidabad, a district located in central West Bengal, has been on the boil for the past few years. In April 2025, the district witnessed communal violence at Shamsherganj, where three people were killed, and hundreds were left homeless. The violence was precipitated by the protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The absence of Mr. Pathan from the district from where he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024 was raised by his political opponents then also. The cricketer turned politician had defeated five-term Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampore in 2024 by a margin of 85,000 votes.