India offers help to rebuild Ray heritage home in Dhaka amid outrage over plan to demolish it
DHAKA: In yet another development showcasing growing social intolerance in Bangladesh, the ancestral home of iconic filmmaker
Satyajit Ray
in Dhaka is being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure, the local media reported Tuesday.
Located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in the city, the century-old house was home to Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. Upendrakishore, a prominent 19th-century litterateur in his own right besides being a painter and publisher, was the father of celebrated poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
A semi-concrete structure with several rooms will be built to house a Shishu Academy at the historically-significant building, the country's leading media outlet 'Daily Star' reported.
According to reports, the property - which was built by Upendrakishore more than a century ago and previously housed the Mymensingh Shishu Academy - fell into a state of disrepair after years of neglect by the authorities.
The newspaper said that local residents have expressed their concerns over the decision, citing that the demolition will wipe out the legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh city. However, the authorities insist that the demolition is being carried out in accordance with proper procedures and "necessary approvals".
Officials from Dhaka's Department of Archeology, while agreeing that the property remains an archeological heritage, admitted that their repeated requests to protect the building have gone unheard.
Expressing her anguish, West Bengal CM
Mamata Banerjee
posted on X: "The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal's culture. Upendrakishore was among the pillars of the Bengal Renaissance. I feel this house is inextricably linked to Bengal's cultural history.
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."
In New Delhi, MEA expressed deep regret that the property was being demolished. "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," said ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, adding that the Indian govt was willing to extend assistance for the purpose.
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