- By Supratik Das
- Thu, 17 Jul 2025 04:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Bangladesh government has categorically denied reports linking a dilapidated one-storey house in Mymensingh district to legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, days after India expressed regret over the demolition of the structure and offered help to preserve it as a museum. In a statement, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a careful examination of old records and land deeds reaffirmed that the building "never had any relation with the ancestors of the noble laureate Satyajit Ray."
As per the clarification, the house was initially built by local Zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury for his workers, adjacent to his bungalow 'Shashi Lodge'. On the abolition of the zamindari system, the property was acquired by the government and subsequently transferred to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy. The officials emphasized that the building was on government-held 'Khas' land and was long-leased to the Shishu Academy, which utilized it as its district office until 2014.
No Trace of The Ray Family's Ownership
"The District Authorities have perused the land documents in connection with the house and verified that the land is government property with no connection to the Ray family in any way," the Foreign Ministry stated. Some elderly villagers also testified that no known historical linkage between the Ray family and the destroyed house can be found. The building is also not registered as an archaeological monument, it furthered. The confusion, officials explained, could have been caused by the fact that the street in front of the razed house is named Harikishore Ray, the great-grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray and the foster parent of his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. The family's original ancestral house on Harikishore Ray Road does not exist and was sold generations ago, the statement explained.
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Authorities added the abandoned house, which was in a state of neglect for many years, had turned into a hub of illegal activities after the Academy moved to a rented building elsewhere in the city of Mymensingh in 2014. "An effort was made to build a semi-permanent structure at the location in early 2024. Following proper procedure, the Shishu Academy approved the removal of the old, hazardous building by an auction," the statement added.
Bangladesh Calls for Restraint Against 'Misleading Narratives'
Bangladesh called on all parties to "desist from dissemination of misleading or factually inaccurate narratives," which would lead to misunderstanding and undermine harmony between the peoples of the two neighboring countries. Previously, India's Ministry of External Affairs had announced that it was sorry to see a building widely believed to belong to Ray's family demolished and offered assistance in restoring it as a museum commemorating the common cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh. The new clarification, officials hope, should bring the issue to a close and resolve misunderstandings surrounding the contentious Mymensingh house.
