Willing to cooperate with Bangladesh for repair of Satyajit Ray's ancestral home, says India
Earlier in the day, Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that the ancestral home of littérateur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was being demolished to make way for a 'new semi-concrete structure'. Chowdhury is the father of poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of Satyajit Ray.
#Bangladesh | Satyajit Ray's ancestral home being demolished in Mymensingh
In Bangladesh, the ancestral home of eminent filmmaker #SatyajitRay in #Mymensingh city, formerly used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, is being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure.… pic.twitter.com/2fNZJ4vec1
— DD News (@DDNewslive) July 15, 2025
The newspaper reported that the home had been 'abandoned for ten years' and was being used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy. The property was being demolished to build a semi-concrete structure with several rooms to start academy activities, the newspaper quoted an official as saying.
The official claimed that the old structure, located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Mymensingh, posed 'safety risks' for the children gathering in the compound.
In light of the reports on the demolition, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sought the intervention of both New Delhi and Dhaka in the matter.
'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,' she said on X. 'It is said that the demolition work had already begun.'
Describing the reports as 'extremely distressing', the Trinamool Congress chief said that the 'Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture'. Banerjee added that the home was 'intricately tied' to the cultural history of Bengal.
'I appeal to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house,' she said. 'The Indian government should pay attention to this matter.'
Later on Tuesday, India's Ministry of External Affairs said that it noted with 'profound regret' the demolition of the ancestral home of Satyajit Ray and his grandfather. 'The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair,' the ministry said in a statement.
'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,' it added.
The statement said that the Indian government would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose.
The ancestral home, located about 120 km north of Dhaka, was built over a century ago by Chowdhury, The Indian Express reported, quoting Bangladesh' Department of Archaeology.
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