Latest news with #Upendrakishore
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India offers help to rebuild Ray heritage home in Dhaka amid outrage over plan to demolish it
File photo DHAKA: In yet another development showcasing growing social intolerance in Bangladesh, the ancestral home of iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Dhaka is being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure, the local media reported Tuesday. Located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in the city, the century-old house was home to Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. Upendrakishore, a prominent 19th-century litterateur in his own right besides being a painter and publisher, was the father of celebrated poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray. A semi-concrete structure with several rooms will be built to house a Shishu Academy at the historically-significant building, the country's leading media outlet 'Daily Star' reported. According to reports, the property - which was built by Upendrakishore more than a century ago and previously housed the Mymensingh Shishu Academy - fell into a state of disrepair after years of neglect by the authorities. The newspaper said that local residents have expressed their concerns over the decision, citing that the demolition will wipe out the legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh city. However, the authorities insist that the demolition is being carried out in accordance with proper procedures and "necessary approvals". Officials from Dhaka's Department of Archeology, while agreeing that the property remains an archeological heritage, admitted that their repeated requests to protect the building have gone unheard. Expressing her anguish, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee posted on X: "The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal's culture. Upendrakishore was among the pillars of the Bengal Renaissance. I feel this house is inextricably linked to Bengal's cultural history. I appeal to the Bangladeshi government and to all right-thinking people of that country to preserve this edifice of rich tradition. The Indian government should also intervene." In New Delhi, MEA expressed deep regret that the property was being demolished. "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 ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, adding that the Indian govt was willing to extend assistance for the purpose.
United News of India
2 days ago
- General
- United News of India
India offers to work with Bangladesh to repair & reconstruct Satyajit Ray's ancestral property
New Delhi, July 15 (UNI) India today offered to cooperate with the Bangladesh government to repair and reconstruct the ancestral property of noted filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, which is set to be demolished. The Ministry of External Affairs in a late night statement noted 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 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," the statement said. "The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose," the statement added. India's offer came amidst reports in Bangladesh that the ancestral home of eminent litterateur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, formerly used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, is being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure. Upendrakishore was the father of celebrated poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Mymensingh, the century-old house is tied to the legacy of the illustrious Ray family, whose contributions to Bangla literature and arts are considered foundational. Horikishore Ray Chowdhury himself was an ancestor of Upendra Kishore, Sukumar, and Satyajit, the Daily Star reported. The house, situated just behind Shashi Lodge -- one of the region's most prominent archaeological landmarks -- had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect by the authorities. Local residents say that the demolition will wipe out the legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh city. According to the Department of Archaeology, the house was built more than a century ago by Upendrakishore, a notable zamindar from Masua in Kishoreganj's Katiadi upazila. After the partition of 1947, the property came under government ownership and was repurposed as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989. UNI RN
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
CM flags razing of Upendrakishore home in B'desh, India offers help to rebuild it
Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she was "saddened" by reports emerging from Bangladesh that the residence of writer and painter Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury in Bangladesh was being demolished. Upendrakishore was the father of one of Bengal's most celebrated poets, Sukumar Ray, and the grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Taking to X, she wrote in Bengali: "Reports suggest the ancestral house of Satyajit Ray's grandfather, ren-owned writer-editor Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, is allegedly being demolished. It is reported that the demolition work has already begun. This news is extremely saddening." "The Ray family is a significant bearer of Bengali culture. Upendrakishore was a pillar of the Bengal Renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately linked to the cultural history of Bengal. I appeal to govt of Bangladesh and all well-intentioned people of the country to preserve this heritage building. The Indian govt should pay attention to this matter," Banerjee added. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Later in the day, India called on Bangladesh to reconsider its decision and offered help to preserve the iconic building. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like All Senior Drivers Should Claim This Large Reward (Check If You Qualify) Read More Undo Describing the move as a matter of "profound regret", MEA said: "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. Govt of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose." According to media reports from Bangladesh, the home was being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure. According to available records, the house was built more than a century ago by Upendrakishore, then a zamindar and entrepreneur from Masua in Kishoreganj's Katiadi upazila. Upendrakishore was the first to introduce colour printing in Bengal. He also began the first children's magazine in colour, Sandesh, in 1913. According to the local media in Bangladesh, after the Partition in 1947, the property came under govt ownership and was repurposed as Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989. According to Daily Star, who quoted Md Mehedi Zaman, the district children affairs officer, as saying: "The house has been left abandoned for 10 years. Shishu Academy activities have been operating from a rented space." The official added that the demolition was being carried out following procedure. When asked why such a historically significant building was being demolished, he said the building posed a risk to children who gathered at the compound. In June, Banerjee had condemned the vandalism at Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Sirajganj, calling the incident a "barbaric assault on national pride and the subcontinent's cultural heritage".
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
India offers help to Bangladesh to preserve Satyajit Ray's ancestral home
The Indian government on Tuesday noted with 'profound regret' the news that the ancestral property of filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Bangladesh's Mymensingh is to be demolished. The property belonged to Satyajit Ray's grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, a renowned writer-editor. In a statement issued late Tuesday evening, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged the Bangladesh government to reconsider the demolition of the property and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh. India also offered its cooperation to the neighbouring country's government in preserving the structure and turning it into a museum as a symbol of Bengal's socio-cultural renaissance. Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought the intervention of the governments of India and Bangladesh in saving Satyajit Ray's ancestral house. The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair, the MEA statement noted. '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 MEA said. The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose, it said. In a post on X, the Bengal CM wrote, 'I learnt from media reports that the memory-entwined ancestral house in Bangladesh's Mymensingh city is being demolished. The reports say that the demolition process had already begun. This is heartbreaking news.' 'The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal's culture. Upendrakishore was among the pillars of the Bengal Renaissance. I feel this house is inextricably linked to Bengal's cultural history. I appeal to the Bangladeshi government and to all right-thinking people of that country to preserve this edifice of rich tradition. The Indian government should also intervene,' Banerjee added. In June, Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the alleged vandalism of Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral property in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, urging him to ensure that 'perpetrators of this heinous and mindless act' are brought to justice. Upendrakishore (1863–1915), a prominent 19th-century litterateur, painter and publisher, was the father of Bengal's celebrated poet Sukumar Ray (1887–1923), whose nonsense verse Abol Tabol is still popular among speakers of the Bengali language, and the grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Upendrakishore started the publication of Sandesh, a children's magazine, in 1913. He was the son-in-law of Brahmo social reformer Dwarkanath Ganguly, whose second wife, Kadambini Ganguly, was India's first woman doctor to practise Western medicine. According to reports, the property, which was built by Upendrakishore more than a century ago and previously housed the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, fell into a state of disrepair after years of neglect by the authorities. 'The house has been left abandoned for 10 years. Shishu Academy activities have been operating from a rented space,' Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star reported, quoting Md Mehedi Zaman, the district Children Affairs Officer. The newspaper attributed the same officer to state that a semi-concrete building with several rooms will be built in place of the old house to restart the academy's activities there.
