Authorities in Bangladesh have started demolishing the ancestral home of legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh city, according to a report by The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi news website.

This house was built by Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, Satyajit Ray’s grandfather, who was a well-known writer and editor. The building is more than 100 years old and had also served as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, a children’s learning centre. It is located on a road named after another Ray family member, Horikishore Ray Chowdhury.

However, the building was left in poor condition due to years of neglect. For the last 10 years, it has remained unused, and the Shishu Academy has been working from a rented space.

District Children Affairs Officer Md Mehedi Zaman told The Daily Star, “The house has been left abandoned for 10 years. Shishu Academy activities have been operating from a rented space.” He also said that a new semi-concrete building would be constructed on the same site for academic activities.

Local poet Shamim Ashraf said, “The house was in a pitiful state for years; cracks developed in its roof, but the authorities concerned never cared for the rich history behind old buildings.”

The house was taken over by the local authorities after the Partition in 1947, when the area became part of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. In 1989, it became the Mymensingh Shishu Academy.

Many local residents are not happy with the demolition. They believe the house is an important part of the city’s cultural and literary history.

India and Mamata Banerjee urge Bangladesh to save the home

The Indian government has strongly reacted to this decision. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "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 Kishore Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished."

The MEA also 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." It added that India is ready to work with local authorities to save the house.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also shared her concern. Writing in Bangla on X, she said, "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. It is said that the demolition work had already begun."

She added, "The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture. Upendrakishore is a pillar of Bengal's renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal."

She requested the interim government of Bangladesh and its people to preserve the historic building and also urged the Indian government to help save it.

Satyajit Ray is one of the most respected names in world cinema. He received India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, and a special honourary award from the Oscars for his contribution to films.

Who was Satyajit Ray?

Satyajit Ray (1921–1992) was one of the greatest film directors in world cinema. Born in Kolkata, he was not only a filmmaker but also a writer, editor, illustrator, and music composer. His most famous works include The Apu Trilogy, The Music Room, and Charulata. Ray started as a commercial artist and was inspired by global cinema. He made 36 films and created famous characters like Feluda and Professor Shonku. Ray won many awards, including the Bharat Ratna and an honorary Oscar. In 2024, Forbes ranked him 8th among the greatest directors of all time.

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