NEW DELHI: India has expressed deep regret over the demolition of the ancestral property of legendary filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging Dhaka to reconsider its decision and preserve the site as a shared cultural landmark.
In an official statement on Tuesday, the External Affairs Ministry noted: “We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.”
The building, owned by the Government of Bangladesh and located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, had reportedly fallen into disrepair after years of neglect. It was most recently used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy.
Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that the century-old structure is being razed to make way for a new semi-concrete building. The house stands just behind the historic Shashi Lodge, a prominent regional archaeological site.
Calling the house a symbol of the “Bangla cultural renaissance,” the MEA suggested that, rather than demolishing it, the site should be restored and converted into a literary museum to honor the legacy of the Ray family — including Upendra Kishor, his son Sukumar Ray, and grandson Satyajit Ray, whose contributions to Bengali arts and literature remain foundational.
“Given the building’s landmark status... it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction,” the MEA stated, adding that “the Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose.”
The development has sparked concern among cultural historians and admirers of the Ray family across the subcontinent, who view the demolition as a significant loss to the region’s shared heritage.