West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly protested the demolition of iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray's ancestral house in Dhaka, terming the action deeply distressing.
The house, situated on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, was once owned by Ray's grandfather, Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury — a renowned writer and cultural icon of Bengal's renaissance.
As per reports in local Bangladeshi media, work on demolishing the old building has already begun. "This is really sad news. The Ray family are among the leading carriers and bearers of Bengali culture. Upendra Kishore is a stalwart of Bengal's renaissance. Hence, I think this house is very closely associated with the cultural heritage of Bengal," Banerjee posted on X (formerly Twitter).
She also appealed to the government of Bangladesh, headed by Mohammad Yunus, and asked the nation's people to take measures necessary to conserve the culturally significant site. Further, Banerjee asked the Indian government to intervene and assist in stopping the destruction of the heritage property.
The over a century-old building previously accommodated the Mymensingh Children's Academy. However, years of abandonment left it in tatters and was later declared unsafe. The Daily Star reports that the building is being demolished to pave the way for a new semi-concrete building that will be the academy's new location.
After the Partition of 1947, the house belonged to the government of Bangladesh. The Department of Archaeology has testified that the building has been unused for more than ten years.
In an interview with The Daily Star, Md Mehedi Zaman, Children Affairs Officer of Dhaka, said, "The house has remained vacant for 10 years. Shishu Academy functions have been going on in a rented building." He further mentioned that a multi-room facility will be built on the property with complete administrative sanction to resume academy activities.
In response to concerns over the cultural and historical importance of the site, Zaman said the decision was made due to the building’s unsafe condition, especially given its use for children’s activities.
