Latest news with #ShishuAcademy
India Today
a day ago
- General
- India Today
Satyajit Ray's ‘ancestral home' that wasn't? What Bangladesh said on row
The Bangladesh government has categorically denied allegations that legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Mymensingh city has been demolished, asserting that the structure in question has no connection whatsoever to the Ray a media statement issued by the Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs, the government stated that a detailed review of archival and land records confirmed that the house being demolished was originally built by a local zamindar, Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury, and not by Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, the grandfather of Satyajit Ray and a renowned author and inquiry into the archival records reconfirmed that the house in question had never had any relation with the ancestors of the esteemed laureate Satyajit Ray,' the statement structure, located in Mymensingh district, had for decades served as the office of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy. According to the government, after abolition of the zamindari system, the land on which the house stands came under state control and was later leased on a long-term basis to the academy. The land itself is officially recorded as non-agricultural government (khas) land. The government statement said local authorities had conducted a meticulous review of historical records and found no connection between the Ray family and the property. 'The district authorities have reviewed the land records related to the house and confirmed that the land belongs to the government and has no association with the Ray family whatsoever,' it said.'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,' said the government further clarified that while the Ray family did indeed own a home in Mymensingh, it was located on Harikishore Ray Road, a street named after Satyajit Ray's great-grandfather and the adoptive parent of Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury. However, that house was sold by the family long ago and no longer exists. A modern multi-storey building now occupies the controversy had erupted after media reports in both Bangladesh and India claimed that a century-old house once belonging to the Ray family, apparently built by Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, was being demolished by the authorities in Mymensingh. The reports quickly went viral on social media, drawing condemnation from admirers of Ray and sparking concerns over the erasure of shared cultural in Mymensingh, however, swiftly moved to refute those claims. According to the media statement, the structure now being razed had been lying abandoned since 2014, when the Shishu Academy relocated to a rented facility elsewhere in the city. Over time, the site reportedly became a den for unlawful activities involving 'local anti-social elements', prompting district authorities to draw up plans for constructing a new semi-permanent early 2025, the Shishu Academy formally requested permission to dismantle the dilapidated structure. Following due process and an open public auction, the district administration approved the demolition. A public notification regarding the removal of the building was widely circulated through national and local newspapers on March 7, the statement response to the recent public outcry, the deputy commissioner of Mymensingh convened a high-level meeting on July 16, which included senior citizens, journalists, authors and community members. During the discussion, several local intellectuals expressed strong support for the government's position and reiterated that the house in question had no association with Satyajit Ray or his writer Kangal Shahin, speaking at the meeting, emphasised that the building under the Shishu Academy's authority 'does not belong to Hari Kishore Ray or Satyajit Ray'. Civil society member Professor Bimal Kanti Dey echoed noted that a longstanding misconception had existed about the structure being tied to the Ray poet and writer Farid Ahmed Dulal also testified that 'the house has no connection with Satyajit Ray or his family'. All participants at the meeting reportedly supported the construction of a new building for the Shishu Academy, citing the importance of educational infrastructure for the children of Dhar, an archaeologist based in Mymensingh, independently verified the government's position, stating: 'The house in question is not the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray.'In a firm closing statement, the ministry of foreign affairs urged the media and the public to act responsibly and refrain from spreading unverified or misleading claims. '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 ends up creating confusion and disrupts harmony,' the statement Ray, the iconic filmmaker, author and artist, remains an unparalleled cultural figure whose legacy is deeply revered across the subcontinent. A recipient of India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, and an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, Ray's influence on global cinema and Bengali literature continues to inspire generations. But as the Bangladesh government now insists, the building currently being dismantled in Mymensingh is not part of that legacy, and that efforts to preserve history must be guided by facts, not to India Today Magazine- Ends
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
'No association' with Satyajit Ray: Bangladesh on house in Mymensingh that is being demolished
Bangladesh on Thursday (July 17, 2025) said that a house in Mymensingh district that is being demolished due to "dilapidated, risky and unusable" structure has "no association" with eminent filmmaker and author Satyajit Ray. India on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) called on Bangladesh to reconsider its decision to demolish the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray and offered help to preserve the iconic building as it symbolises Bangla cultural "renaissance". In a statement issued on Thursday, Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said a "detailed inquiry into the archival records re-confirmed that the house in question never had any relation with the ancestors of Satyajit Ray". India had urged Bangladesh to convert the "landmark" building into a museum symbolising the shared culture of the two countries and pledged to extend cooperation for it. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said the house was built by local Zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury next to his bungalow for his employees. Upon the abolition of the zamindari system, it came under the control of the government, which allocated it to the 'Shishu Academy, it said. "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," the statement said. It added that local senior citizens and individuals also said 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". However, the road in front of the house, 'Harikishore Ray Road', is named after Satyajit Ray's great-grandfather Harikishore Ray, the statement said, adding that 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 building that is now being demolished was dilapidated, risky and unusable," it added. "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," the Ministry said. It said that during a meeting of senior citizens, literary and cultural personalities, journalists and local community members on Wednesday, eminent writer Kangal Shahin said that the building does not belong to Hari Kishore Ray or Satyajit Ray. "All attendees were in unequivocal agreement that the abandoned building of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy has no historical or familial ties with Satyajit Ray or his family. In this regard, Swapan Dhar, an archaeology researcher from Mymensingh, also stated that the house in question is not the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray," it added.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘No relation to Satyajit Ray': Bangladesh says house being demolished has no connection with filmmaker
A day after the Indian government urged Bangladesh to not demolish the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray, the latter has clarified that the house being pulled down has no ties to the noted filmmaker. The press release stated that the house was built by a local landowner (zamindar) named Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury.(The Daily Star) In a press release shared by Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country stated that land records examined by the district authorities show that the property 'has no association with the Ray family whatsoever'. 'The Government of Bangladesh has taken note of certain media reports claiming that the ancestral property of the renowned filmmaker and author Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh - originally owned by his grandfather, the distinguished litterateur Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury - is being demolished by Bangladeshi authorities,' a statement of Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. It said that detailed inquiry into the 'archival records' had established that the house had no relation to Ray's ancestors and was built by a local landowner (zamindar) named Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury. The release stated that the building was built next to the owner's "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,' Bangladesh's foreign affairs ministry said. They further said that the land was a 'non-agricultural (Khas) government land' which had been leased to the Shishu Academy on a long-term basis. The release said that senior citizens and 'respected individuals from various communities' had confirmed that the property had no historical connection to Ray's family and was also not 'an archaeological monument'. Ray family house sold long time ago, says Bangladesh govt The Bangladesh government said that the Ray family had a house in the area, which was sold a long time ago, and was reconstructed as a multi-storeyed building by the new owner. The release stated that while the house itself is not connected to Ray, the road in front of the property was named 'Harikishore Ray Road', after the filmmaker's great-grandfather. Harkikishore Ray was the adoptive parent of the filmmaker's grandfather Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury. The house being demolished at present is 'dilapidated' and 'risky', the Bangladesh government said, adding that the Academy had been moved to another rented property in Mymensingh. Abandoned house became den of unlawful activities, says statement The press release by Bangladesh's foreign affairs ministry also stated that after the moving of Shishu Academy, the house had become 'a den of unlawful activities'. '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,' the release said. It further said that after the decision to demolish the property was taken by the Auction Committee, the public was notified about it through national and local newspapers. The release said that following this, a meeting was convened by the the Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh, which was attended by senior citizens, literary and cultural personalities, journalists and 'other distinguished members of the local community'. 'During the meeting, eminent writer Kangal Shahin elaborated how the dilapidated building….does not belong to Hari Kishore Ray or Satyajit Ray. Professor Bimal Kanti Dey, a respected member of the civil society in Mymensingh, shared additional details about the misperception about the house belonging to the Ray family. Local poet and writer Farid Ahmed Dulal also affirmed that the house has no connection with Satyajit Ray or his family,' the release added. Following the clarification, the Bangladesh government also urged everyone 'to refrain from spreading misleading or factually inaccurate narrative'.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Building being demolished has no links to Satyajit Ray: Bangladesh government amid public outcry
The building being bulldozed in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district has no historical or family links to filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Dhaka claimed on Thursday amid a row over its demolition. Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that after a 'detailed inquiry' into the archival records it was found that the building is not related to Satyajit Ray or his ancestors. On Wednesday, the Bangladesh government had halted the demolition of the century-old house, located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Mymensingh, following public outcry, The Daily Star reported. In its statement on Thursday, the Bangladeshi government said that the district authorities had established that the land belongs to the government. 'Local senior citizens and…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,' it stated. The road in front of the house – Harikishore Ray Road – is named after Satyajit Ray's great-grandfather, the government said. 'The Ray family had a house on Hairkishore Ray Road, which they had sold long ago and thus no longer exists,' the ministry stated. A multi-storied building was constructed there by the new owner, it added. The structure being demolished was dilapidated, risky and unusable, the ministry added. 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. — Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) July 17, 2025 On Tuesday, The Daily Star reported that the ancestral home of littérateur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was being demolished to make way for a 'new semi-concrete structure'. Chowdhury is the grandfather of Satyajit Ray and father of poet Sukumar Ray. The home had been abandoned for 10 years and was being used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, the newspaper had reported. The property was being demolished to build a semi-concrete structure with several rooms to start activities of the academy, the newspaper had quoted the district children affairs officer as saying. The official had claimed that the old structure posed 'safety risks' for the children gathering in the compound. After reports emerged about the demolition, India had said on Tuesday that it was willing to cooperate with the Bangladeshi government in repairing and reconstructing Satyajit Ray's ancestral home. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
House Under Demolition Has No Link With Satyajit Ray, Never Did: Bangladesh
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. — 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.
