Tue Jul 15 21:06:00 UTC 2025: ## India Urges Bangladesh to Halt Demolition of Satyajit Ray’s Ancestral Home

**New Delhi – July 16, 2025 (The Hindu)** – India has expressed “profound regret” over the ongoing demolition of the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. In a statement released Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called on the Bangladeshi government to cease the demolition and consider preserving the property as a testament to the shared cultural heritage of the two nations.

The property, belonging to Ray’s grandfather and renowned writer Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is reportedly being razed to make way for a new structure. The MEA emphasized the iconic status of the Ray family and the building’s symbolic importance in the “Bangla cultural renaissance.”

The MEA offered India’s full cooperation in the repair and reconstruction of the property, suggesting it could be transformed into a museum of literature. The statement highlighted that the property is currently owned by the Government of Bangladesh and is in a state of disrepair.

Media reports from Bangladesh indicate the house, which served as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy after being taken over by the Government of Pakistan in 1947, is being demolished despite its historical significance.

India’s plea underscores the strong cultural ties between the two countries and the enduring legacy of Satyajit Ray. The MEA hopes Bangladesh will reconsider the demolition and work together to preserve this important landmark.

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