House Under Demolition Has No Link With Satyajit Ray, Never Did: Bangladesh

NDTV

17-07-2025

New Delhi:
The dilapidated one-storey house in Bangladesh's Mymensingh, which several reports had identified as Satyajit Ray's ancestral home, has no connection with the legendary filmmaker, the Bangladesh government has said. The clarification comes in the aftermath of India expressing concern over the ongoing demolition of the structure and offering help to Dhaka to reconstruct it as a museum.
Multiple reports had claimed that the house belonged to Ray's grandfather and well-known Bengali writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and expressed concern over its demolition. The reports played out against the backdrop of tense ties between New Delhi and Dhaka after the change of guard in Bangladesh and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's escape to Delhi. The demolition was also seen as a cultural shift in the neighbouring country.
Detailed inquiry into archive/records in #Bangladesh reconfirm: the building being demolished in #Mymensingh district has no historical/familial link to iconic Bengali filmmaker #Satyajit Ray or his ancestors. pic.twitter.com/IT4uwtvBFm
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) July 17, 2025
"Detailed inquiry into the archival records re-confirmed that the house in question never had any relation with the ancestors of the esteemed laureate Satyajit Ray. It was built by a local Zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury, next to his bungalow house 'Shashi Lodge', for his employees. Upon the abolition of the zamindari system, it came under the control of the government. The government later allocated it to the Bangladesh 'Shishu Academy'. Ever since, the house has been used as the office of the District Shishu Academy. And, the land itself was a non-agricultural government (Khas) land and leased to Shishu Academy on a long-term basis," the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
"The District Authorities have reviewed the land records related to the house and confirmed that as per the past records the land belongs to the Government and has no association with the Ray family whatsoever. Local senior citizens and respected individuals from various communities also attested that there is no known historical connection between the Ray family and the house and land currently leased to the Shishu Academy. The house is not listed as an archaeological monument, either," the statement said.
It underlined that road in front of the house is named after Satyajit Ray's great-grandfather Harikishore Ray, the adoptive parent of his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. "The Ray family had a house on Harikishore Ray Road, which they had sold long ago and thus no longer exists. A multi-storied building was constructed there by the new owner," the statement said.
The building, the Bangladesh government said, was "dilapidated, risky and unusable". "Since 2014, the Academy had shifted to a rented property elsewhere in Mymensingh city, and the abandoned house became a den for unlawful activities by local anti-social elements. Hence, an initiative was taken to construct a semi-permanent building at the site in the first half of 2024. Later, following due process, Bangladesh Shishu Academy accorded permission to the District authorities to remove the old, dilapidated building through an auction."
"Drawing on the factual and meticulous re-examination of all records, the Government of Bangladesh urges all quarters to refrain from spreading misleading or factually inaccurate narrative, in any form, that end up creating confusion and disrupt harmony amongst the people," the ministry said.
Earlier, India's Ministry of External Affairs had expressed regret over the demolition. "The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair. 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," it had said, adding that New Delhi would be willing to cooperate with Dhaka in this matter.