Bangladesh halts demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home, admits 'lapse' after India's offer to help

Portrait taken 02 February 1989 in Calcutta of the Indian movie director Satyajit Ray during the ceremony where he was to be made a member the Legion of Honour by the French President François Mitterrand.

Bangladesh has paused the demolition of filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Mymensingh after strong objections from India and mounting public criticism over the erasure of cultural heritage. The move comes after India termed the action “regrettable” and offered to help restore the historic building.

The house, once owned by Ray’s grandfather and prominent writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, had come under demolition reportedly due to its dilapidated condition. However, critics across both countries saw the act as the destruction of a symbolic site representing the legacy of the Ray family, widely celebrated for its contributions to Bengali art, literature, and cinema.

Mymensingh, Bangladesh: The demolition which was ongoing at the ancestral home of director Satyajit Ray has been stopped pic.twitter.com/77P9UnVEoo

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

— IANS (@ians_india) July 16, 2025

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, “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 property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair.

“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 Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose.”

The MEA’s remarks came as the demolition drew attention amid concerns that Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is sidelining national icons such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from public memory.

Shortly after, Faisal Mahmud, the press minister of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, confirmed to The Week that the demolition had been halted.

“First of all, this particular one-storey building in Mymensingh was never listed as a protected heritage structure. That was a lapse on our part. We understand that,” Mahmud admitted, adding, “Usually, houses like this, especially one connected to someone like Satyajit Ray, who is so dear to us—should have been protected.”

He clarified that the building was under the Bangladesh Shishu Academy and was used for children’s classes until 2007, when it fell into disrepair. According to Mahmud, the district administration failed to refer the matter to the archaeological department to be declared a heritage site.

“So it’s not exactly accurate to say that the government unilaterally decided to demolish it,” he said. “One part of the government - the archaeological department - asked another part, the Shishu Academy, to halt the demolition. Since the issue attracted a lot of media attention, the Bangladesh government has now put the demolition on hold.”

The controversy has prompted fresh calls for protecting sites of shared cultural legacy across the subcontinent and sparked debates on heritage preservation in Bangladesh.