'Erasure of history': Satyajit Ray's ancestral house taken down in Bangladesh

Time of India

2 days ago

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the Bangladesh government of erasing history and Bengali heritage after film director
Satyajit Ray
's ancestral house was reportedly demolished in Dhaka.
In a social media post on X,
BJP
IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a video of the dilapidated building.
In the footage, construction workers were seen tearing down the walls, with the house visibly overgrown with weeds.
"Another blow to Bengali heritage - Satyajit Ray's ancestral home demolished in Bangladesh."
"This isn't just the destruction of an old structure — it is the erasure of history itself. The very soil that nurtured one of the world's greatest cinematic legends is now reduced to rubble.
Shouldn't the Bangladesh government have taken responsibility to preserve a site of such immense historical and cultural value?" Malviya added.
This comes after reports that Shishu Academy proposed demolishing the building to construct a multi-storey facility, according to Prothom Alo.
The newspaper reported that no activity had taken place at the abandoned house since 2007 and it had become a den for drug addicts.
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Following reports of the demolition, New Delhi offered assistance for repairing and reconstructing the building as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared cultural heritage between India and Bangladesh.
Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Given the building's landmark status symbolising the 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 building was located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Dhaka. The century-old house was home to Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury—a prominent 19th-century litterateur, painter, and publisher. He was the father of celebrated poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
Satyajit Ray, born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921, is regarded as one of India's greatest filmmakers. His acclaimed works include The Apu Trilogy, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Pather Panchali, and Shatranj Ke Khiladi.
Beyond filmmaking, Ray was a screenwriter, documentary maker, author, essayist, lyricist, illustrator, magazine editor, calligrapher, and music composer.
He received numerous accolades in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, multiple international awards, an Academy Honorary Award in 1992, and the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, also in 1992.