Bangladesh Government To Demolish Satyajit Ray's Ancestral Home; India Offers Help To Restore The Property

Bangladesh daily The Daily Star, on Tuesday, reported that the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray is being demolished to built a new semi-concrete structure. The century-old house belonged to Ray’s grandfather and eminent litterateur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, called it "extremely distressing" and also sought centre's intervention.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, regrets that the "ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished."

"The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair," the MEA stated.

"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 ministry said further. Indian government is also willing to help the Bangladesh government for the repair and reconstruction of Ray's ancestral home.

Mamata Banerjee wrote, "This news is extremely distressing. 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."

The CM also appealed to the "Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house." She also wrote that the Indian government should pay attention to this matter.

Why Bangladesh wants to demolish Satyajit Ray's ancestral house?

The Daily Star quoted Md Mehedi Zaman, the district Children Affairs Officer, saying, "The house has been left abandoned for 10 years. Shishu Academy activities have been operating from a rented space."

The officer also revealed that a semi-concrete building will be built in place of the old structure, and it will have several rooms, where the academy’s activities will restart.

He also told that the old building is risky for children gathering at the compound.

Locals react

Locals blamed the administration for the negligence. They also said that the demolition would erase the legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh city.

"The house remained in a sorry state for years, with cracks forming on its roof – yet the authorities never cared about the rich history these old buildings hold," poet Shamim Ashraf told the publication.

Ashraf also said that the locals demanded for the preservation of the house, but no action was taken.