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The government on Thursday urged all quarters to refrain from spreading misleading or factually inaccurate narratives, in any form, that create confusion and disrupt harmony among the people.
The call came in response to certain media reports claiming that the ancestral property of 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.
Citing a factual and meticulous re-examination of all records, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a detailed inquiry into archival records re-confirmed that the house in question never had any connection with the ancestors of the esteemed laureate Satyajit Ray.
According to the ministry, the house was built by local zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury, next to his bungalow, ‘Shashi Lodge’, to house his employees.
After the abolition of the zamindari system, the property came under government control.
The government later allocated the property to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy.
Since then, the house has been used as the office of the District Shishu Academy, the ministry said in a media release.
It added that the land itself was non-agricultural government (khas) land and had been leased to the Shishu Academy on a long-term basis.
District authorities reviewed the land records and confirmed that, as per historical documentation, the land belongs to the government and has no association with the Ray family.
Local senior citizens and respected community members also attested that there is no known historical connection between the Ray family and the property currently leased to the Shishu Academy, according to the ministry.
The house is not listed as an archaeological monument either, the government added.
However, the road in front of the house—Harikishore Ray Road—is named after Satyajit Ray's great-grandfather Harikishore Ray, the adoptive parent of his grandfather Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury.
The Ray family once owned a house on Harikishore Ray Road, which was sold long ago and no longer exists.
A multi-storied building was later constructed on that site by the new owner.
The building now being demolished was in a dilapidated, risky, and unusable condition. Since 2014, the Academy had relocated 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 granted permission to district authorities to remove the old, dilapidated structure through an auction,” the government said.
As per the Auction Committee’s decision, the general public was “widely notified” through national and local newspapers on March 7, 2025.
Last Wednesday afternoon, the Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh convened a meeting with senior citizens, literary and cultural figures, journalists, and other respected community members.
During the meeting, eminent writer Kangal Shahin elaborated that the dilapidated building under the authority of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, currently being demolished, does not belong to Harikishore Ray or Satyajit Ray.
Prof. Bimal Kanti Dey, a respected civil society member in Mymensingh, also shared details about the misconceptions surrounding the property’s link to the Ray family.
Local poet and writer Farid Ahmed Dulal affirmed that the house has no connection with Satyajit Ray or his family.
All participants unanimously supported the construction of a new building for the Shishu Academy, considering the welfare of Mymensingh’s children, and urged that the project proceed without delay.
Everyone present was in unequivocal agreement that the abandoned building of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy has no historical or familial ties to Satyajit Ray or his lineage, the government said.
In this regard, Swapan Dhar, an archaeology researcher from Mymensingh, also confirmed that the house in question is not the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray.
On Tuesday, the Government of India expressed its willingness to cooperate with Bangladesh in repairing and reconstructing the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh.
“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,” said India’s Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
The property, currently under the ownership of the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair, the Indian government noted.
Given the building’s landmark status, symbolising the Bangla cultural renaissance, India said it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and explore options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture between India and Bangladesh.
“The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose,” the MEA stated.