Demos to save anti-British revolutionary’s house in full force

Eminent citizens and different sociocultural and students' organisations in Chattogram city have been organising demonstrations, demanding the government take steps to protect a historic structure, a part of which was demolished by a group of people. 

Around 2pm on Monday, Rana Dasgupta, a prosecutor of International Crimes Tribunal, came to know that a group was demolishing the structure that was once the house of Anti-British revolutionary Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, at port city's Rahamatganj.

He rushed to the spot along with members of different sociocultural organisations, but a part of the structure was already demolished by that time. Rana and his companions asked the group on what grounds were they demolishing the structure, and they replied that they owned the property and had a court order, said eyewitnesses.

Rana, also general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, then sat down in front of the bulldozer, said the witnesses.

On information, a magistrate from Chattogram District Administration came to the spot and stopped the demolition work.

After being informed of the matter, different sociocultural and students' organisations started holding demonstrations.

Chattogram Itihas Sangskriti Gobeshona Kendra organised a press conference at Chattogram Press Club yesterday. In a written statement, Aliur Rahman, chairperson of the organisation, said the building was the house of Deshbandhu Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, who organised anti- British movements, including strikes at Burma Oil Company and Assam Bengal Railway. He was arrested for organising the movements and died in jail on July 23, 1933.

The house bears the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Dr Ansari, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das and Barrister Abdullah Rasul among others, he said.

Jatindra's wife Neli Sengupta, although British, had played a role in the anti-British movements, he said, adding that she lived in the house after her husband's death.

Rana, in the press conference, said after falling sick, Neli went to India for treatment in 1970 and returned in 1972, but found out that her house was "grabbed".

He said the government had leased out the property as vested property to a person running a school there. A third party, suddenly on Monday, drove them out of the building and started demolishing it, claiming that they had a court order of the house's ownership.

"Firstly, the house is in custody of Chattogram District Administration, and without informing it, the third party somehow got a court order, claiming that they bought the property from a relative of Jatindra," said Rana.

"We demand the administration take steps to protect the building, turning it into a museum of anti-British heroes," he said.

Poet and journalist Abul Momen said according to Article 24 of the Constitution, the government will protect historic structures, and according to Antiquities Act, the state will take steps to protect structures that are 100 years old and over.

Conscious citizens should raise their voice to protect the historic structure, he said.

Prof Anupam Sen, vice chancellor of Premier University, said the property was made into vested property "unethically".

"It is a historic structure, and we will have to save it by any means," he said.

Rana said on July 9, 2018, Ministry of Cultural Affairs decided to protect the building, turning it into a museum. "The decision will have to be implemented immediately."

"We have protected Chattogram Court Building, Chattogram Railway Station and Chattogram Railway Building through movements," he said. "We will save this structure too. If necessary, we will go for legal steps."

Besides, different organisations, including Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Chattogramer Bir Janata, formed human chains beside Chattogram Press Club yesterday, demanding the same.

During a visit yesterday, it was seen that parts of the house's roof and walls were demolished. The compound's main entrance was shut. No further activities for demolishing the house was seen at that time.

Contacted, SM Zakaria, deputy additional commissioner (general) of Chattogram District Administration, said the administration leased out the property to a person.

"Keeping us in the dark, another person filed a case with court. We did not know about it, but as we now know, we will take legal steps," he said.

AJM Nasir Uddin, former mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, said, "Whoever instigated the demolition should be held accountable for their action…We all have to stand against such acts to save our historical sites."