Swapan Ray, former president of the Sreemangal Upazila unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and president of the Sri Sri Sreemangaleswari Kali Temple Management Committee, passed away at the age of 71.

According to family sources, he breathed his last on Monday (December 15) at around 4:30pm while being taken by ambulance from Sylhet to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment. He passed away on the highway in Bhairab upazila of Kishoreganj. He had been suffering from kidney-related complications and several other ailments for a long time.

Swapan Ray was the eldest son of the late Satyendra Kumar Ray (popularly known as S K Ray), a renowned politician, social worker and industrial entrepreneur. S K Ray was widely recognised as a pioneering entrepreneur who played a significant role in the political, social and economic development of Sreemangal and the greater Sylhet region. Swapan Ray was also the owner of the S K Ray Complex located on Moulvibazar Road in Sreemangal town.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Swapan Ray remained actively involved in religious, social and organisational activities in Sreemangal throughout his life. In addition to leading the Puja Udjapan Parishad at the upazila level, he also served as president of the Sri Sri Sreemangaleswari Kali Temple Management Committee. He was regarded as a well-accepted and respected leader of the local Sanatan community.

He was the eldest among two brothers and one sister. He is survived by his wife and two children—a son and a daughter—both of whom live abroad.

As news of his passing spread, a pall of gloom descended over Sreemangal town. After his family members returned home, his funeral rites were held on Wednesday (December 18) afternoon.

Prior to the cremation, his body was taken in procession to several religious institutions, including the Sarbojanin Durgabari on Moulvibazar Road, Ramakrishna Sevashram, Jagabandhu Ashram, Sri Sri Jagannath Dev Akhra, Baroari Kali Temple, and finally the Sri Sri Sreemangaleswari Kali Temple on College Road. Hundreds of people paid their final respects by offering flowers, while representatives of various political, social, religious and cultural organisations also joined in paying tribute.

Former Sreemangal mayor and BNP leader of Moulvibazar district, Md Mohsin Mia Madhu, expressed deep sorrow at his demise. In a condolence message, he said he had maintained a long-standing personal and social relationship with Swapan Ray and his family, and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul while expressing heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family.

Later, according to religious rites, the cremation was conducted at the Sreemangal municipal crematorium in the presence of his children, relatives, well-wishers and a large number of followers.

Leaders from various political and social organisations, including Pritom Das, joint member secretary of the central committee of NCP, and Niloy Rashid Tanmay, organising secretary of the NCP Moulvibazar district unit, paid tribute to Swapan Ray at the Sri Sri Sreemangaleswari Kali Temple premises.

The demise of this popular social worker and devout religious figure has been widely mourned across Sreemangal’s political, social and business communities. During his lifetime, Swapan Ray was actively associated with numerous social and humanitarian organisations. Various social, cultural and religious bodies have expressed their condolences and prayed for the eternal peace of his soul.