Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
The interim government of Bangladesh has clarified that a century-old house in Mymensingh, which some reports claimed to be the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, has no historical or familial connection with the Ray family. The clarification came after public outcry halted the demolition of the abandoned building, located on Harikishore Ray Road behind the prominent Shashi Lodge. Several reports earlier suggested the house once belonged to Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Satyajit Ray’s grandfather.
Following an extensive review of archival records, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “Detailed inquiry into the archival records re-confirmed that the house in question never had any relation with the ancestors of the esteemed laureate Satyajit Ray. It was built by local zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury for his employees.”
The house, government records show, came under state ownership after the abolition of the zamindari system and was allocated to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy in 1989. It served as the Academy’s office until 2014, when it was declared unsafe and vacated. Since then, the abandoned structure had become a haven for anti-social activities. On March 7, 2025, the authorities announced its demolition through a public auction. A new semi-permanent structure for the Shishu Academy is planned on the site. However, controversy emerged when Sabina Yeasmin, a field officer at the Department of Archaeology, wrote to officials calling the house “a historic house belonging to the Ray family” and urged its preservation. “Though not listed as a protected site, it is over a hundred years old and linked to Satyajit Ray’s ancestors,” she said.
In response, Mymensingh Deputy Commissioner Mofidul Alam stated: “We have taken opinions from senior residents, archaeologists, and researchers. Based on their input, we have come to this conclusion that the house is not the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray.” He noted that philanthropist Ranada Prasad Saha had occasionally stayed in the house, and that the actual Ray family home on Harikishore Ray Road was sold long ago. It has since been replaced by a multi-storey building. At a public meeting chaired by the DC, local experts and civil society members—including writer Kangal Shahin, Professor Bimal Kanti Dey, and poet Farid Ahmed Dulal—also confirmed the house had no connection to the Ray family.
Archaeology researcher Swapan Dhar cited findings from a 2010 joint German-Bangladeshi heritage project, asserting that the house was never linked to Ray’s lineage but rather associated with Saha. “There was a Ray family house on Harikishore Ray Road, but it was demolished nearly a decade ago,” he added. Despite this, local journalist Rabindranath Paul, 69, claimed the property was once owned by the Rays and later bought by Saha. Social activist Ali Yusuf also alleged the house was built by Maharaja Shashikanto Acharya Chowdhury.
The government, however, stood by its findings and urged the public to refrain from spreading misinformation. “The house is not listed as an archaeological monument,” the official statement said. “It has no known historical connection with the Ray family. All attendees at the public meeting supported moving forward with the new Shishu Academy building in the interest of children.”