The ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, about 120 km north of Dhaka, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, faced threat of demolition.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said they have noted this development with profound regret.
The property, presently owned by the Government of Bangladesh, is in a state of disrepair.
The MEA 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 Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose.
Demolition halted
Meanwhile, the demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Bangladesh has been halted following a public outcry.
“The demolition was stopped on instructions from the DC, Mymensingh District Children’s Affairs Officer Mehedi Zaman told journalists,” Bangladesh’s leading daily, The Daily Star, reported on Thursday.
Satyajit Ray, born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921, is regarded as one of India’s most influential filmmakers. His acclaimed works include The Apu Trilogy, Pather Panchali, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Ray was also an accomplished screenwriter, essayist, illustrator, magazine editor, and composer.
Throughout his illustrious career, he received numerous accolades, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, international honours at major film festivals, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. That same year, he was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
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