Satyajit Ray ancestral home demolition: Why Bangladesh was razing the property & what India offered to stop it?

Mint

4 days ago

The ongoing demolition at the ancestral home of renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Bangladesh's Mymensingh has been stopped after the Indian government intervened into the matter. The Centre also expressed its willingness to extend cooperation to restore the depleting property.
"We note with profound regret 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 Ministry of External Affairs said.
"The Government of India is willing to cooperate with the Government of Bangladesh for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, the building stood on a 36-acre estate and housed prayer hall, a workspace (the famed Kachari Bari), multiple ponds, gardens and a playground. Later, in 1989, the Mymensingh Shishu Academy started operating from the building.
However, the property—abandoned for over a decade—had fallen into disrepair. Confirming the reports of demolition, Md Mehedi Zaman, the district's children affairs officer, told India Today, 'The house had been abandoned for 10 years, and Shishu Academy activities have been running from a rented space.'
India government also noted that "the property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair." However, emphasising the significance of the property as a cultural landmark, it urged reconsideration of the demolition plan.
"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.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the move by the Bangladeshi authorities to demolish the property as "extremely distressing" and said the building is 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 building," she said in a social media post.
The West Bengal chief minister also appealed to the Indian government to intervene in the matter.
(With inputs from agencies and India Today)