• Source:JND
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed deep concern over the demolition of the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker and author Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. In a strongly worded statement, the MEA urged the Bangladeshi authorities to reconsider the decision and offered India’s support in preserving the historic site.

“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 MEA said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The property, which currently belongs to the Government of Bangladesh, has been in a state of disrepair for several years. However, the Indian government highlighted the building’s cultural and historical significance, calling it a “landmark” of the Bangla cultural renaissance.

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“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 MEA added. India also said it would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose.

Mamata expresses concern over "demolition' of Satyajit Ray's ancestral property in Bangladesh

The statement came hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over reports of the ancestral residence of India's iconic film director and writer Satyajit Ray at Mymensingh city in neighbouring Bangladesh being demolished.

"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. This news is extremely distressing. 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," the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

The Chief Minister, at the same time, demanded that the Union government should immediately pay attention to the matter.

Local Outrage And Historical Significance

Local residents in Mymensingh have voiced strong opposition to the demolition, expressing sorrow over the erasure of a historic structure tied to the legacy of the Ray dynasty. “This demolition will wipe out the legacy of the Ray family from Mymensingh,” said one local resident.

The house was originally built over a century ago by Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, a respected zamindar from Masua in Kishoreganj's Katiadiupazila. It later came under government control following the 1947 Partition and was converted into the Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989.

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Official Justification And Criticism

Md Mehedi Zaman, Dhaka’s Children Affairs Officer, confirmed that the building had been abandoned for the last 10 years and said the academy operations were being conducted from a rented space. “A semi-concrete building with several rooms will be built to start academy activities,” he said, noting that the demolition is being carried out with all necessary approvals.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also joined the call for preservation, sharing her dismay in a social media post and urging Bangladeshi authorities to reconsider their actions.