Intolerant Bangladesh Will Now Demolish Satyajit Ray’s Ancestral Home

DHAKA (IANS)- In a concerning development reflecting growing social intolerance in Bangladesh, the ancestral home of iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh is being demolished to make way for a new semi-concrete structure, local media reported on July 15.

Located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Mymensingh city, the century-old house was once home to eminent litterateur Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, who was the father of celebrated poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather of Satyajit Ray.

A semi-concrete structure with several rooms is slated to be built to house a Shishu Academy at the historically significant building, as reported by the country’s leading media outlet ‘Daily Star’. Local residents have expressed concerns that this demolition will erase the legacy of the Ray dynasty in Mymensingh. However, authorities maintain that the demolition adheres to proper procedures and has received “necessary approvals.”

Officials from Dhaka’s Department of Archeology, while acknowledging the property’s status as an archaeological heritage, admitted that their repeated requests for its protection have been disregarded.

Satyajit Ray is globally recognized as one of the most respected filmmakers in world cinema, having inspired numerous acclaimed directors, including Martin Scorsese, known for works such as ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Raging Bull’, and ‘The Departed’.

This demolition follows a series of similar incidents. In April, a mob of radicals destroyed the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka’s Mirpur area. This monument symbolized the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army during Bangladesh’s Liberation War. As videos of this demolition circulated widely, many Bangladeshis condemned the act on social media, highlighting perceived lawlessness under the interim government led by Yunus.

In March, the mural of the Liberation War Memorial Mancha in Lalmonirhat district was also demolished under the instruction of the Yunus-led interim government. This mural depicted the formation of the Mujibnagar government, the 1971 genocide, the victory of freedom fighters, the surrender of the Pakistani army, and the jubilant crowds celebrating independence.

Additionally, the Dhaka South City Corporation has renamed various roads, buildings, and structures previously named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his family members, and Awami League leaders. 

Since the Yunus government came to power in August 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, approximately 1,500 sculptures, murals, and memorials have been vandalized, set on fire, or uprooted across the country.