Dhaka, July 15 — In a move drawing widespread condemnation, the ancestral home of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray in Dhaka is being demolished to make way for a semi-concrete structure, according to local media reports. The building, located on Horikishore Ray Chowdhury Road, was once home to Ray’s grandfather, eminent writer Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, and father, renowned poet Sukumar Ray.
The site, considered a vital part of Bangladesh’s cultural and literary heritage, is being cleared to build a new facility for a Shishu Academy, The Daily Star reported. While authorities claim the demolition is being carried out with necessary approvals, residents and heritage experts fear this marks yet another erasure of historical legacy.
Officials from Dhaka’s Department of Archaeology confirmed the building’s heritage value but admitted that multiple appeals to protect the site have gone unheeded. “It is unfortunate that such a historically important structure is being dismantled,” said one official.
The demolition is seen by many as part of a troubling trend under the interim government led by Yunus, which came to power following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024. Since then, more than 1,500 sculptures, murals, and memorials linked to Bangladesh’s liberation history have reportedly been vandalized or removed.
Earlier this year, the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka’s Mirpur and the Liberation War Memorial mural in Lalmonirhat were also destroyed, sparking national outrage. Roads and structures named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other freedom movement icons have also been renamed.
The demolition of Ray’s family home — a symbol of Bengal’s literary and artistic heritage — has further fueled criticism of the government’s perceived disregard for cultural history.
