India urges Bangladesh not to demolish Satyajit Ray's ancestral home

In a move that has triggered widespread outrage among cultural and heritage activists,the ancestral home of iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray has been demolished in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The over century-old residence, located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, held deep literary and cultural significance, once belonging to Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, a celebrated writer and grandfather of Satyajit Ray. The house also bore legacy ties to Sukumar Ray, the revered poet and father of the legendary filmmaker.

India on Tuesday called on Bangladesh to reconsider its decision to demolish the ancestral property of noted filmmaker Satyajit Ray and offered help to preserve the iconic building as it symbolises Bangla cultural "renaissance". Describing the move to demolish the "landmark" building in Mymensingh as a matter of "profound regret", New Delhi also urged Dhaka to convert it into a museum symbolising shared culture of the two countries and pledged to extend cooperation for it. The demolition is reportedly being carried out to make way for a new building for the Shishu Academy, a state-run children's welfare institution. While officials claim that all necessary permissions were obtained, the move has drawn sharp criticism from locals, historians, and cultural figures, who see it as yet another blow to Bengal’s shared intellectual and artistic heritage.

Another blow to Bengali heritage — Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home demolished in Bangladesh.

This isn’t just the destruction of an old structure — it is the erasure of history itself.
The very soil that nurtured one of the world’s greatest cinematic legends is now reduced to… pic.twitter.com/kr4WgEqQe4

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 16, 2025

Officials from the Department of Archaeology in Dhaka admitted the property’s historical importance and confirmed they had made repeated appeals for its preservation. “Despite our requests to protect this significant site, no action was taken. Demolition is now underway,” said one official on condition of anonymity.
Satyajit Ray, a towering figure in global cinema and one of India’s most celebrated cultural exports, drew inspiration from a rich lineage of literary and artistic brilliance rooted in this very home. His grandfather, Upendra Kishore, founded the iconic Sandesh magazine, while his father Sukumar Ray pioneered Bengali nonsense literature with works still cherished today.Ray’s legacy has influenced filmmakers around the world, including Martin Scorsese, who has often cited the Indian auteur as one of his major inspirations.
Wider Cultural Erosion Amid Political Shift
This latest demolition is not an isolated incident. Since the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus assumed power in August 2024, following the fall of the Awami League administration, over 1,500 cultural monuments, murals, and sculptures have reportedly been vandalised or removed across Bangladesh.
In April, a mob destroyed the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka’s Mirpur, built to honour those slain during the 1971 Liberation War. A video of the destruction went viral, sparking national and international condemnation.Earlier in March, authorities dismantled a mural at the Liberation War Memorial Mancha in Lalmonirhat, which had depicted key moments in Bangladesh’s struggle for independence—including the 1950s language movement, the March 7 speech, and the formation of the Mujibnagar government.
Street names have also been targeted. The Dhaka South City Corporation has issued orders to rename avenues previously dedicated to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other Awami League leaders. For instance, Bangabandhu Avenue is now Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue, in what many view as a politically charged move. These developments have raised serious concerns about the preservation of cultural heritage and the current state of law and order in Bangladesh.