Mamata Banerjee condemns demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Dhaka, seeks Centre’s intervention

Residents in the area have reportedly raised objections, saying the decision threatens to obliterate the historical legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh (Image: IANS)

The ancestral home of eminent filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Dhaka is reportedly being demolished to make way for a semi-concrete building, according to local media reports.

The century-old property located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road belonged to the grandfather of Satyajit Ray, the renowned litterateur Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury.

Citing local media reports, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the development was very saddening. “This news is extremely distressing. The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture. Upendra Kishore was a pillar of Bengal's renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal,” she wrote on X.

She urged the Muhammad Yunus government in Bangladesh to take steps to preserve the property, while also appealing to the Indian government to pay attention to the matter.

খবরে প্রকাশ যে, বাংলাদেশের ময়মনসিংহ শহরে সত্যজিৎ রায়ের ঠাকুরদা, স্বয়ং স্বনামধন্য সাহিত্যিক-সম্পাদক উপেন্দ্রকিশোর রায়চৌধুরীর স্মৃতিজড়িত তাঁদের পৈতৃক বাড়িটি নাকি ভেঙে ফেলা হচ্ছে। ভাঙার কাজ শুরু হয়ে গিয়েছিল বলে খবর প্রকাশিত।

এই সংবাদ অত্যন্ত দুঃখের। রায় পরিবার বাংলার…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 15, 2025

A semi-concrete structure with several rooms will be built to house a Shishu Academy at the historically-significant building, the country's leading media outlet 'Daily Star' reported.

Residents in the area have reportedly raised objections, saying the decision threatens to obliterate the historical legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh.

Situated near the famed Shashi Lodge, the property had reportedly fallen into a state of disrepair following years of abandonment by local authorities.

Authorities in the area said that the demolition is being carried out in accordance with proper procedures and "necessary approvals".

Widely considered a giant of world cinema, Satyajit Ray’s work has left a lasting impact on legendary filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, the director behind films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Departed, and Shutter Island.

According to the Department of Archaeology, the house was built more than a century ago by Upendra Kishore, a notable zamindar from Masua in Kishoreganj's Katiadi upazila, the Daily Star report added.