Zakir Hossain in Dhaka
AMN / NEW DELHI
The ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray—built by his grandfather, the eminent writer and publisher Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury—is being demolished in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, to make way for a new semi-concrete building. The move has sparked criticism from heritage activists and prompted the Indian government to express deep concern.
Located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, just behind the historic Shashi Lodge, the century-old house once served as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy. The property, spread across a 36-acre plot, has been abandoned for over a decade, during which Shishu Academy activities shifted to a rented facility.
Md Mehedi Zaman, Mymensingh’s district children affairs officer, said the demolition decision was made by a committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Mofidul Alam and included officials from the Public Works Department. “The structure had become unsafe, especially for children. The new building will allow us to resume academy operations in a secure environment,” Zaman said, adding that the process was approved and legally sound.
However, local voices and cultural activists have condemned the move. “The house remained in a sorry state for years, with cracks forming on the roof. Yet the authorities never cared about the rich history these old buildings hold,” said poet Shamim Ashraf, noting that repeated pleas for preservation were ignored.
According to the Department of Archaeology, the house was built over 100 years ago by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, a zamindar from Masua in Kishoreganj’s Katiadi upazila. After the 1947 Partition, it came under government ownership and began housing the Shishu Academy in 1989. Despite its cultural significance, the house was never officially listed as a protected heritage site.
Sabina Yeasmin, field officer of the Department of Archaeology (Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions), confirmed that although the building was not listed, survey data had identified it as an archaeological heritage site. “I urged the local administration and Shishu Academy officials to protect it, but my request was ignored,” she said. She also reported the matter to the department’s regional director.
Following reports of the demolition, filmmaker Sandip Ray—son of Satyajit Ray—shared his disappointment: “I never visited Bangladesh to see the house, and neither did Baba [Satyajit Ray]. I only saw photographs. I remember Baba had wanted to include images of the house in the documentary he was making on Sukumar Ray,” Sandip said. He added that a trusted member of Satyajit Ray’s production team had been sent to photograph the house, but its neglected condition led the filmmaker to exclude the images from the documentary. “Baba was deeply disappointed,” Sandip recalled.
In response to the demolition, the Indian government has expressed its concern and urged Bangladesh to reconsider the decision. India also offered support to help restore and transform the building into a literary museum. “We are deeply saddened to learn about the demolition of the ancestral property of acclaimed filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, which belonged to his grandfather, the renowned writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Noting that the building is now state-owned and in a poor state of preservation, the statement emphasised the importance of the site as a symbol of the Bengali cultural awakening. The MEA suggested that restoring the house as a museum would be a more meaningful tribute and highlighted India’s willingness to assist in such an effort.
