Reconsider Satyajit Ray's home demolition, examine options for repair: India offers help to Bangladesh

"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 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair, it said.

"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 MEA statement said.

The Indian government has expressed its willingness to "extend cooperation for this purpose".

This comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought the Centre's intervention in the matter.

The century-old property in Dhaka's Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road belonged to Ray's grandfather, the renowned litterateur Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury.

Citing local media reports, Banerjee said that demolition work has already begun on the historic property.

"This news is extremely distressing. The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture. Upendra Kishore is a pillar of Bengal's renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal," the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

Banerjee appealed to the Mohammad Yunus government in Bangladesh to preserve this heritage-laden house.

Besides, she also urged the Indian government to intervene in the matter.

The house, which is a prominent archaeological landmark, was previously used as the Mymensingh Children's Academy but had reportedly fallen into disrepair following years of neglect by the authorities.

"It's being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure," according to Bangladeshi publication Daily Star.