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Published : 10 Nov 2025, 09:42 PM
Siraj Ali Khan, the great-grandson of legendary musician Ustad Alauddin Khan, has said the descendants of the maestro who live in India have no contact or discussion with those claiming ownership of the land of the Alauddin Sangitangon in Brahmanbaria.
He told bdnews24.com, “Our relatives who live in India have not made any ownership claims over this land.”
In the 1950s, Ustad Alauddin bought a house on Old Jail Road in Brahmanbaria town with the intention of establishing a music college there.
In 1956, Sursamrat the Alauddin Sangitangon was founded on that property.
About five years ago, four individuals went to court claiming ownership of the land. They are descendants of Alauddin’s eldest daughter, Saroja Begum.
On Monday, bdnews24.com published a report titled “Land row casts shadow over legacy of Alauddin Sangitangon”.
After seeing that report, Siraj contacted the correspondent and expressed his desire to discuss the matter when he visits Bangladesh in January.
Siraj believes the land should remain with Alauddin Sangitangon, and a full-fledged music college should be developed there.
Of Alauddin’s three daughters and one son, only Saroja lived in Brahmanbaria. The descendants of his other daughters and son now reside permanently in Maihar and Kolkata in India, and in the United States.
Across three generations, about 80 relatives are spread across different countries.
Alauddin Khan’s son was Ali Akbar Khan, whose son Dhyanesh Khan was Siraj’s father. Siraj himself is a noted musician of the Maihar gharana.
On Oct 8, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs organised a classical music event at Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka to mark the 163rd birth anniversary of Ustad Alauddin.
At that event, Siraj performed on the sarod, one that is about 150 years old and was once played by his great-grandfather.
The sarod has been passed down through generations in the family.
“I will be visiting Bangladesh in January and will speak about the Alauddin Khan Sangitangon issue then,” Siraj told bdnews24.com.
He also expressed gratitude to those working to preserve the memory and legacy of the maestro.
