Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Wednesday expressed deep distress over the reported demolition of the ancestral home of Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Bangladesh.
The century-old property, located in Mymensingh, belonged to Ray’s grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, a prominent figure in Bengali literature and culture.
“To reduce a site of immense historical and cultural significance to rubble is nothing short of an assault on our heritage,” Banerjee said in his WhatsApp channel emphasising the importance of preserving the cultural landmark.
Appealing to the Bangladeshi government to halt the demolition, Banerjee said: “I urge the Government of Bangladesh to reconsider this heavy-handed decision and take immediate steps to protect and preserve this cultural landmark.”
“I also call upon the Government of India to initiate appropriate bilateral engagement,” he said, underscoring the need to ensure the preservation of the heritage site.
The ancestral home, built over a century ago, had been left abandoned for nearly a decade and previously housed the Mymensingh Shishu Academy. The ministry of external affairs has also expressed “profound regret” over the demolition and offered help to repair and convert the property into a museum symbolising shared cultural heritage between India and Bangladesh.