
India offers support to restore Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh
"We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
"The Government of India is willing to cooperate with the Government of Bangladesh for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Further, the ministry emphasised that "the property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair."
India emphasised the significance of the property as a cultural landmark and urged reconsideration of the demolition plan.
"Given the building's landmark status, symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh," the ministry said.
Satyajit Ray, the legendary Indian filmmaker, was born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921. His most prominent works include The Apu Trilogy, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Pather Panchali and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. He was also a screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer.
He received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. Ray was also honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India offers support to restore Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh
New Delhi: The Indian government expressed regret on Tuesday over the reported demolition of the ancestral property of celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh and expressed its willingness to extend cooperation in its restoration. "We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished," the Ministry of External Affairs said. "The Government of India is willing to cooperate with the Government of Bangladesh for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray," the Ministry of External Affairs said. Further, the ministry emphasised that "the property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair." India emphasised the significance of the property as a cultural landmark and urged reconsideration of the demolition plan. "Given the building's landmark status, symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh," the ministry said. Satyajit Ray, the legendary Indian filmmaker, was born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921. His most prominent works include The Apu Trilogy, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Pather Panchali and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. He was also a screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer. He received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. Ray was also honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.


Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
"No mechanical or maintenance issues found," says Air India CEO on AI-171 crash report
New Delhi: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has urged calm and focus following the release of the preliminary investigation report into the AI171 accident, emphasising that the report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft involved in the June 12 tragedy. In a letter to employees, Wilson reiterated key findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, which ruled out faults in the aircraft's engines, maintenance history, fuel quality, and take-off procedure. The report also confirmed that the pilots passed mandatory pre-flight alcohol tests and had no concerning medical history. "The Preliminary Report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed," Wilson stated. "There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll." The CEO cautioned against jumping to conclusions as the investigation is still ongoing and the preliminary report does not assign blame or suggest a cause. "We must avoid drawing premature conclusions," he said. "The investigation is far from over." Wilson also addressed media speculation that has surrounded the incident over the past month, describing it as a cycle of "theories, allegations, rumours and sensational headlines," many of which have later been disproven. In the days following the accident, Wilson noted that Air India conducted precautionary checks on all its Boeing 787 aircraft under the supervision of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and all aircraft were declared safe to operate. Beyond the operational assurances, Wilson praised the Air India team for their compassion and professionalism in the aftermath of the incident. "Despite the shared grief, I could not be prouder of the togetherness, compassion and resilience that you have all shown," he said. Reaffirming the airline's commitment to cooperate fully with the investigation, Wilson urged employees to stay focused on Air India's core values -- integrity, excellence, customer focus, innovation, and teamwork -- while continuing to support those affected and maintain the highest standards of safety and service. The AI171 accident, which occurred on June 12 killed 241 passengers and remains under investigation by the AAIB.


Times of Oman
5 days ago
- Times of Oman
One pilot asked the other about fuel cutoff seconds before crash, says preliminary AI171 crash report
New Delhi: A preliminary investigation into the Air India flight AI171 crash has revealed that just seconds before the aircraft lost power and went down near Ahmedabad airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines, an action the second pilot reportedly denied, saying, "did not do so." "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the preliminary report on the Air India crash said. The report mentions that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash near the boundary of Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Investigators have ruled out any bird strike or external damage, although the cause of the fuel cutoff remains under investigation. According to the report, "the aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC, and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position one after another with a time gap of one second. The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off." CCTV footage from the airport showed the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying shortly after takeoff, indicating that power was lost early in the flight. "The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off. No significant bird activity is observed in the vicinity of the flight path. The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall," the report added. Further, the report said that data downloaded from the forward Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) is being analysed in detail. The report also stated that no immediate safety actions have been recommended for B787-8 aircraft or the GE GEnx-1B engines at this stage. However, investigators will continue to review more evidence, records, and information from relevant stakeholders. Meanwhile, a 2018 safety warning from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding a possible flaw in Boeing's fuel control switches has resurfaced as part of the investigation. The FAA had earlier warned that the locking feature on these switches, which prevents accidental engine shutdown, could become disengaged. However, it did not mandate corrective action. "The FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) No. NM-18-33 on December 17, 2018, regarding the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature. This SAIB was issued based on reports from operators of Model 737 aeroplanes that the fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. The airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition that would warrant an airworthiness directive (AD) by the FAA," the report states. "The fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, including part number 4TL837-3D, which is fitted in B787-8 aircraft VT-ANB. As per the information from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory. The scrutiny of maintenance records revealed that the throttle control module was replaced on VT-ANB in 2019 and 2023. However, the reason for the replacement was not linked to the fuel control switch. There has been no defect reported pertaining to the fuel control switch since 2023 on VT-ANB," it added. On 12 June this year, the London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The aircraft struck a hostel building at BJ Medical College, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The incident is among India's deadliest aviation disasters in recent times.