Former DPM Badri Prasad Mandal dead at 88

Badri Prasad Mandal, a prominent political figure who held influential roles from the Panchayat era to the direct rule of the monarchy, passed away Tuesday in Biratnagar at the age of 88. His family confirmed that he died peacefully in his sleep at his residence in Ghoghapul Chowk.

According to family members, Mandal appeared to be in normal health as recently as Monday night. His niece, Jasmine Mandal, noted that he had used the restroom independently Tuesday morning before returning to bed, where he was later found deceased.

Mandal began his political career in 1979 during the Panchayat system and remained a powerful figure through the transition to a multi-party parliamentary system after 1989. He served as a member of the National Panchayat and held various ministerial portfolios, including Minister of State for Finance and Minister for Forests.

In the 1999 general elections, Mandal achieved a significant political victory by defeating senior Nepali Congress leader Shailaja Acharya in Morang. Following the death of Nepal Sadbhawana Party founder Gajendra Narayan Singh, Mandal also served as the party’s acting chairman for a period of time.

During the direct rule of King Gyanendra Shah, Mandal reached the peak of his career serving as Deputy Prime Minister. Following the abolition of the monarchy and the political changes of 2006, he gradually withdrew from public life and lived quietly at his home.

Mandal is survived by two wives, three sons, and three daughters. His final rites were performed in his ancestral home of Majhare, located in the Jahada-2 rural municipality of Morang.