Authorities in Bangladesh have begun demolishing the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh city to make way for a semi-concrete structure, according to a report by Bangladeshi news website The Daily Star.
The move has drawn strong reactions from India, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressing regret and urging the Bangladeshi government to reconsider the decision.
The MEA said in a statement, “We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.”
It added that “given the building’s landmark status, symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh.” The Indian government has also expressed willingness to cooperate with local authorities in this regard.
The structure in question was built by Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, grandfather of Satyajit Ray and father of poet Sukumar Ray. The century-old building was formerly used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy and is located on a road named after another Ray ancestor, Horikishore Ray Chowdhury. The Ray family is considered to have made lasting contributions to Bengali literature and art.
According to The Daily Star, the structure has suffered due to years of neglect by local authorities. “The house has been left abandoned for 10 years. Shishu Academy activities have been operating from a rented space,” the report quoted Md Mehedi Zaman, the district Children Affairs Officer, as saying.
He added that a semi-constructed structure will now be built on the site to accommodate academic activities.
Shamim Ashraf, a local poet, told TDS, “The house was in a pitiful state for years; cracks developed in its roof, but the authorities concerned never cared for the rich history behind old buildings.”
The house was taken over by local authorities after the Partition in 1947, when the region became part of East Pakistan. In 1989, it was repurposed as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy.
Local residents have voiced their opposition to the demolition, arguing that it erases a vital part of the city’s cultural and literary legacy.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also reacted to the development, calling it “extremely distressing.” Writing in Bangla on X, she said, “News reports reveal that in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh city, the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray’s grandfather, the renowned writer-editor Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, steeped in his memories, is reportedly being demolished. It is said that the demolition work had already begun.”
She added, “The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture. Upendrakishore is a pillar of Bengal’s renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal.”
Banerjee appealed to the interim government of Bangladesh and the people of the country to preserve the historic home. She also urged the Indian government to intervene in the matter.
Satyajit Ray, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, remains one of the most celebrated figures in global cinema.
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