The story was first published by Deb Sahitya Kutir, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, in the Puja Annual titled Alpana (Bengali: আলপনা) in 1945.

The character of Ghanashyam Das, also known as GhanaDa, is described as a bachelor with a dark complexion, tall and bony skeletal structure, and an age range of "anywhere between thirty-five to fifty-five."

He lived alongside other boarders who affectionately called him GhanaDa, with "Da" being a Bengali suffix denoting respect and affection for an elder male.

His stories encompassed most major world events of the past two hundred years, and he claimed to have visited nearly every place on earth.

It was revealed that Mr. Nishimara was genetically engineering mosquitoes to become agents of biological warfare, and Tanlin had fallen victim to one of his experiments.

This date corresponded with 28 Aashwin 1352 in the Bengali calendar, coinciding with Maha Navami during the Durga Puja festival in Bengal and India.

When Alpana, the Puja Annual of Deb Sahitya Kutir, was released in 1945, the events on Sakhalin Island were still recent news, making GhanaDa's story particularly resonant with readers.

During World War II and afterwards, nations including the USA, Germany, and Japan engaged in the development of biological warfare.