Century-Old Building Bangladesh Demolition History
Ancestral Homes of Bengali Luminaries Face Demolition Threat, Sparking Cultural Outcry
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dhaka, Bangladesh – The ancestral homes of two of Bengal’s most revered cultural icons, filmmaker Satyajit Ray and poet Rabindranath Tagore, have recently become focal points of concern and intervention, highlighting a growing tension between progress and the preservation of invaluable cultural heritage in Bangladesh. Reports of the potential demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral house in Mymensingh,coupled with an earlier incident of vandalism at Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral property,have ignited a cultural outcry and prompted appeals for governmental action from both Bangladesh and India.
ray’s Ancestral Home in Mymensingh under Threat
The ancestral residence of Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury, grandfather of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, located in Mymensingh, has reportedly been slated for demolition. While The Daily Star reported that the house was not officially listed with the Department of Archaeology, surveys indicated it was an archaeological heritage site. This news emerged shortly after an international campaign was initiated in February 2020 by the Federation of Film Societies of India for the restoration of the ancestral houses of satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen, underscoring the global meaning attached to these cultural landmarks.
Indian Officials Intervene
The news of the potential demolition of Ray’s ancestral house prompted swift concern from Indian officials. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her distress and appealed to the Bangladeshi government to reconsider its decision.
“I learnt from media reports that the memory-entwined ancestral house of renowned writer-editor Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh city is being demolished. The reports say that the demolition process had already begun. This is heartbreaking news,” Banerjee stated on X.
She further emphasized the profound cultural connection, adding, “The Ray family is one of the most prominent torchbearers of Bengal’s culture. Upendrakishore was among the pillars of the Bengal Renaissance. I feel this house is inextricably linked to Bengal’s cultural history. I appeal to the Bangladeshi government and to all right-thinking people of that country to preserve this edifice of rich tradition. The Indian government should also intervene.”
Earlier Calls to Protect Tagore’s Ancestral House
This incident echoes a similar concern raised earlier this year when Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home, the Kachharibari in Sirajganj district, Bangladesh, was vandalized. West Bengal CM Banerjee had then urged Prime Minister Modi to intervene. According to Bangladeshi officials, the vandalism occurred due to a dispute over a motorcycle parking fee between a visitor and museum staff.
The Kachharibari, situated in Shahzadpur, Sirajganj, holds immense past and literary significance. It was acquired in 1840 by Dwarkanath Tagore, Rabindranath’s grandfather, for a sum of Rs 13 and 10 annas during an auction. Rabindranath Tagore himself spent several summers at this property, managing his family’s estate and drawing inspiration for his literary works. In a letter to his niece, he famously remarked, “Here (in Shahzadpur) I feel more inspired to write than anywhere else.”
Recognizing its cultural importance, the house was declared a protected archaeological site in 1969 and later transformed into the Rabindra Memorial Museum, a testament to its enduring legacy.
The recent events surrounding the ancestral homes of Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore underscore the critical need for robust heritage preservation policies and international cooperation to safeguard the cultural legacy of the Indian subcontinent.
With inputs from agencies