Pabna, Jan 17 (V7N) — The 11th death anniversary of legendary Bengali cinema icon Suchitra Sen was observed in Pabna with heartfelt tributes and discussions, alongside growing frustration over the absence of a dedicated memorial museum in her ancestral home.

On Friday morning, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Jahangir Alam paid homage by placing floral tributes at Suchitra Sen's sculpture in her ancestral home on Gopalpur Hemsagar Lane in Pabna city, on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner. Following this, members of the Suchitra Sen Memorial Preservation Council also offered floral respects and held a commemorative discussion.

Speakers at the meeting included Dr. Naresh Madhu, General Secretary of the Suchitra Sen Memorial Preservation Council, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Jahangir Alam, District Magistrate Moniruzzaman, former Pabna Press Club President ABM Fazlur Rahman, Acting President Dr. Ramdulal Bhowmik, Vice-President Faridul Islam Khokon, and council member Mazharul Islam.

Expressing their discontent, speakers criticized the prolonged inaction in establishing a memorial museum at Suchitra Sen's ancestral house. Despite recovering the property from illegal occupation years ago, no visible progress has been made. They urged immediate and effective measures to honor the legendary actress appropriately.

Dr. Ramdulal Bhowmik noted that a proposal to establish the 'Suchitra Sen Memorial Museum' had been submitted to the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy but remains stagnant. He emphasized the need to prioritize the museum project separately and renovate the house under a distinct package.

Suchitra Sen, born on April 6, 1931, in Pabna, was originally named Rama. She grew up in her family's one-story home on Hemsagar Lane. Her father, Karunamoy Dasgupta, served as a sanitary inspector at Pabna Municipality, while her mother Indira Dasgupta was a homemaker. Although she was enrolled under the name Krishna Dasgupta at Mahakali Pathshala, she eventually became known as Suchitra Sen after director Sukumar Dasgupta's assistant Nitish Roy renamed her.

Suchitra Sen spent her early years in Pabna before migrating to India with her family in 1947. She married Dibanath Sen two years later. Suchitra Sen passed away on January 17, 2014, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy in Bengali cinema.

Despite promises, the ancestral home remains in disrepair, with visible cracks and neglect. Pabna residents continue to mourn the lack of recognition for their beloved icon and demand swift action to preserve her memory.

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