An attempt to grab the historical house of Deshapriya Jatindra Mohan Sengupta has prompted a massive outcry among the people of Chittagong.
On Monday morning, the front portion of the historical house located in the city’s Rahmatganj area was bulldozed under police escort.
A group of people made the grabbing attempt through a court order. However, the grabbers backed off in the face of stiff protest.
Protesting the grabbing bid, Chattagram Itihas Sangskriti Gobeshana Kendra held a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday.
Reading out a written statement at the press conference, the platform’s chairman Aliur Rahman said that Chittagong district administration was the custodian of the 150-year-old house.
Terming it as an evil bid to destroy the heritage site of Chittagong, Aliur said, “Recently, an individual named Farid Uddin filed a case with the court claiming ownership of the property. However, an attempt was made to demolish the building without notifying the district administration.”
“Edith Ellen Gray, better known as Nellie Sengupta, lived in her husband Jatindra’s Rahmatganj house till 1972. The Englishwoman also fought for Indian independence. She was elected president of the Indian National Congress at its 47th annual session in Calcutta in 1933. Before dying issueless in Calcutta in 1973, she had not sold or handed over the property to anybody. That’s why the Bangladesh government enlisted the property as Arpita Sampatti (vested property),” he said.
Urging the government to retain the historical building and hand over the vested property to the Cultural Affairs Ministry, the platform also demanded the construction of a multistoried building behind the house and the establishment of a museum and research centre on the anti-British movement.
Speaking at the press conference, renowned sociologist Dr Anupam Sen said that the historical building should be protected at any cost.
Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Rana Dasgupta said that the government could turn the historical house into a museum.
Referring to Article 24 of the constitution, poet and columnist Abul Momen said that the State should adopt measures for protection against disfigurement, damage or removal of all monuments, objects or places of special artistic or historic importance or interest.
A platform under the banner of Chattogramer Bir Janata also held a rally before the Chittagong Press Club protesting the attempt to grab Jatindra Mohan Sengupta’s historic house.
Jatindra Mohan Sengupta (1885-1933) was an Indian revolutionary who fought against British colonial rule. Jatindra was arrested several times by the British police. In 1933, he died in prison in Ranchi, India.
