‘No relation to Satyajit Ray’: Bangladesh says house being demolished has no connection with filmmaker

Bangladesh said that land records examined by the district authorities show that the property “has no association with the Ray family whatsoever”.

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.

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”.