The Indian government on Tuesday reminded the Bangladesh interim government that renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s ancestral is a symbol of Bangla Rennaissance.
The Indian government on Tuesday reminded the Bangladesh interim government led by Muhammad Yunus that renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s home, whose demolition Yunus’ team ordered, is a symbol of Bangla Renaissance and offered help to repair, restore and reconstruct the landmark.
The historic landmark and the century-old property in Dhaka’s Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road belonged to Ray’s grandfather, the renowned litterateur Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, whose poems and short stories are taught to children in schools in India’s West Bengal, Assam and Tripura and also in Bangladesh, making it an intrinsic part of Bengali culture.
“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 said in a statement.
“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 ministry further added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also criticised the decision taken by the interim Bangladesh goverment.
The demolition order by the Bangladesh government has also appeared to anger civil society in Bangladesh where the current interim government has appeared to be lax on Islamists and hardliners who want to erase Bangladesh’s secular credentials and erase its Bengali identity, steering towards a more radical Islamic path.
However, some Bangladeshi activists and citizens are also taking efforts to halt the demolition. “This is the historic house of the Ray family. Although it is not yet listed as an archaeological site, it is a century-old home linked to Satyajit Ray’s family. As part of our survey, such structures can be considered for listing as archaeological sites. That’s why I have appealed to the Shishu Academy for information regarding the demolition. Being a centennial structure, we want this house to be protected,” Sabina Yasmin, field officer of the Department of Archaeology’s Shashilaj Museum, was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.
“The house was in a pity state for years, cracks developed on its roof… but the authorities concerned never cared for the rich history behind old buildings,” Shamim Ashraf, a poet, told the Dhaka Tribune.
The dilapidated building has remained unused since 2007. After the 1947 Partition, the property passed into government ownership and was converted into the Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989.
