New Delhi: A day after India expressed willingness to help restore what was described as filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Bangladesh, Dhaka issued a rebuttal asserting that the house in question had no familial or historical connection with the Ray family.

In a statement released on July 17, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that archival materials and land records confirmed the building being demolished in Mymensingh was never associated with Ray or his ancestors. According to the ministry, the structure had originally been constructed by a local zamindar for employees and was later handed over to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy, which used it as its district office for several decades.

The clarification came after India’s Ministry of External Affairs offered to collaborate with Bangladesh on restoring the property, calling it a symbol of shared Bengali cultural heritage.

The matter gained attention following a report published Wednesday evening by The Daily Star, which claimed that the ancestral home of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Ray’s grandfather and a prominent Bengali litterateur, was being demolished in Mymensingh to make way for new construction.

The MEA’s offer followed a public appeal from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who described the building as belonging to Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and voiced concern over its demolition.

In its statement, the Bangladesh government clarified that the land in question is classified as non-agricultural khas land and had been leased on a long-term basis to the Bangladesh Shishu Academy. The academy used the building until 2014, when it was deemed unsafe and vacated. Since then, the structure had reportedly become a site for unlawful activities and posed safety hazards to the local community.

The ministry also noted that while a nearby road bears the name of Harikishore Ray, a relative of the filmmaker, the actual Ray family home once situated in the area had been sold many decades ago. It no longer exists and was replaced by a multi-storey building constructed by the current owner.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh convened a meeting of local stakeholders, including writers, journalists, academics and civil society members. According to the foreign ministry, participants unanimously affirmed that the building in question had never belonged to the Ray family.

The ministry concluded by urging the public and media “to refrain from spreading misleading or factually inaccurate narrative, in any form, that end up creating confusion and disrupt harmony amongst the people”.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.