'Reconsider Satyajit Ray home demolition': India offers to help Bangladesh
What's the story
The Government of India (GoI) has offered to help the Bangladesh government in repairing and reconstructing the ancestral home of eminent filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The century-old property is located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Dhaka. The GoI has requested a reconsideration of this demolition, suggesting that it could be converted into a museum dedicated to literature and shared cultural heritage between India and Bangladesh.
Cultural loss
Mamata Banerjee had appealed to Bangladesh to preserve the history
The request came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier expressed her dismay over the demolition of Ray's ancestral home. She had appealed to the Bangladeshi government to preserve this piece of history, calling it "heartbreaking," and also urged the Indian government to intervene. The property was once Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury's residence, who was not only a renowned litterateur but also Satyajit's grandfather.
Twitter Post
Mamata Banerjee's post on X
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।
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 15, 2025
এই সংবাদ অত্যন্ত দুঃখের। রায় পরিবার বাংলার…
Demolition details
What officials said about the house
The house was previously used as the Mymensingh Children's Academy but had fallen into disrepair. Md Mehedi Zaman, Dhaka's Children Affairs Officer, told the Daily Star that the demolition is being carried out with necessary approvals and a new semi-concrete structure will replace it. This new building will have several rooms for academic activities, he said.