India Asks Bangladesh To Reconsider Demolition Of Satyajit Ray’s Ancestral Home, Offers Help For Restoration As Museum

Amid reports of the ongoing demolition of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Bangladesh, India has asked Dhaka to reconsider the move and offered assistance in restoring the structure as a museum, the Indian Express reported.

According to Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, the building in Mymensingh, once home to Ray’s grandfather, noted writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, is being torn down to make way for a new semi-concrete structure for the Mymensingh Shishu Academy.

Responding to the development, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed “profound regret” over the demolition of the site, which it described as a symbol of the "Bangla cultural renaissance."

“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 MEA said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also voiced concern. “This is heartbreaking news,” she said in a post on X.

“The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal’s culture... I appeal to the Bangladeshi government and to all right-thinking people of that country to preserve this edifice of rich tradition. The Indian government should also intervene," she added.

The house, located about 120 km from Dhaka, was built over a century ago and was repurposed as a children’s academy in 1989.

Bangladeshi officials said the demolition is following “proper procedures” and is necessary due to safety concerns for children on the premises.

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