The Bangladesh government has officially denied any connection between a demolished house in Mymensingh and legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The clarification follows India’s concern over the demolition and its offer to help preserve the site, previously thought to be of cultural significance.
Newspapers floating in Indian and Bangladeshi media had reported that the house had been owned by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Ray’s grandfather, and a prominent Bengali author. The reports came true after the recent shift in Bangladesh’s political government and diplomatic strains between Dhaka and New Delhi.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded with its disappointment at the demolition and its willingness to assist in rebuilding the area as a cultural museum honoring shared heritage. The Dhaka government was quick to set the record straight, though.
“Exhaustive investigation into the archival documents reaffirmed that the house in question never had any connection with the ancestors of the great laureate Satyajit Ray,” read a statement released by the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The government explained that the house was originally built by local zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury for his staff and bore no family or historical connection to the Ray family. Following the abolition of the zamindari system, the house was handed over to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy and operated as its office until 2014.
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. pic.twitter.com/IT4uwtvBFm
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) July 17, 2025
No Historical or Archaeological Status for the Structure
The building itself is not declared a protected monument, the statement added, and local senior citizens also indicated that no known connection with the Ray family existed. The land itself was always declared non-agricultural government land (Khas) and rented out to the Shishu Academy.
The government also mentioned that there was a street named after Harikishore Ray, Ray’s great-grandfather, close by, but the Ray family house on the street had been sold and no longer existed.
Demolition Cited as Necessary Due to Safety Risks
Terming the building as “dilapidated, risky and unusable,” the government indicated that the house was turned into an anti-social activity center following the Academy’s departure. In 2024, officials sanctioned demolition of the structure to construct a semi-permanent structure on the premises.
“Based on the factual and painstaking re-appraisal of all documents, the Government of Bangladesh requests all parties to desist from disseminating erroneous or factually incorrect accounts,” the foreign ministry stated.
India Provided Assistance to Conserve Heritage
India had previously requested that the site be kept intact, describing it as a “landmark symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance.” The Ministry of External Affairs stated, “It would be better to reconsider the destruction and look for options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature… We would be willing to cooperate with Dhaka.”
But with the Bangladesh government’s categorical denial and rationalization of the demolition, the issue now seems to rest on straightening out the public record and avoiding further diplomatic misperception.
