Latest news with #UpendraKishorRayChowdhury
News18
16 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
India Offers Help To Restore Satyajit Ray's Ancestral Home In Bangladesh Satyajit Ray N18G
The Indian government has expressed regret over the reported demolition of the ancestral house of iconic filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, and has offered its support for its a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, '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.' News18 Mobile App -
Mint
a day ago
- General
- Mint
Satyajit Ray ancestral home demolition: Why Bangladesh was razing the property & what India offered to stop it?
The ongoing demolition at the ancestral home of renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Bangladesh's Mymensingh has been stopped after the Indian government intervened into the matter. The Centre also expressed its willingness to extend cooperation to restore the depleting property. "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. Located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, the building stood on a 36-acre estate and housed prayer hall, a workspace (the famed Kachari Bari), multiple ponds, gardens and a playground. Later, in 1989, the Mymensingh Shishu Academy started operating from the building. However, the property—abandoned for over a decade—had fallen into disrepair. Confirming the reports of demolition, Md Mehedi Zaman, the district's children affairs officer, told India Today, 'The house had been abandoned for 10 years, and Shishu Academy activities have been running from a rented space.' India government also noted that "the property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair." However, emphasising the significance of the property as a cultural landmark, it 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. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the move by the Bangladeshi authorities to demolish the property as "extremely distressing" and said the building is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal. "I appeal to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage building," she said in a social media post. The West Bengal chief minister also appealed to the Indian government to intervene in the matter. (With inputs from agencies and India Today)
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- General
- 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.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
India urges Dhaka to reconsider demolition of Satyajit Ray's ancestral home
NEW DELHI: India has expressed deep regret over the demolition of the ancestral property of legendary filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging Dhaka to reconsider its decision and preserve the site as a shared cultural landmark. In an official statement on Tuesday, the External Affairs Ministry noted: 'We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.' The building, owned by the Government of Bangladesh and located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, had reportedly fallen into disrepair after years of neglect. It was most recently used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy. Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that the century-old structure is being razed to make way for a new semi-concrete building. The house stands just behind the historic Shashi Lodge, a prominent regional archaeological site.
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Reconsider demolition: India offers help to Bangladesh with repair & reconstruction of Satyajit Ray's ancestral property
The Government of India on Tuesday said that it is willing to co-operate with the Bangladesh government for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray in Bangladesh's Mymensingh. '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,' said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement. The government expressed regret that Satyajit Ray's ancestral property, which belonged to his grandfather and eminent litterateur — Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury — presently owned by the Bangladesh government, is being demolished. "The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray was Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury's grandchild. Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, was a renowned children's Bengali author, and the father of Sukumar Ray — the author of the iconic Bengali poem 'Abol Tabol' — which readers still cherish today.
