Bangladesh demolishes Satyajit Ray’s ancestral house after vandalism of Tagore and Mujibur Rahman’s homes: How Islamists are wiping out country’s ‘Hindu’ cultural heritage
The ancestral home of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, father of Sukumar Ray and grandfather of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, located on Harikishore Ray Chowdhury Road in Mymensingh, Dhaka, has been demolished, according to The Daily Star.
The century old structure, which was once used as the Mymensingh Shishu Academy, is being torn down to make way for a new semi-concrete building. This house holds deep historical and cultural significance, being closely tied to the Ray family, whose contribution to literature and the arts is considered foundational.
“The house had been abandoned for ten years, and Shishu Academy activities have since been operating from a rented space,” said an official, adding that the new semi-concrete structure with several rooms will be constructed to resume the Academy’s activities. Over the years, the building had fallen into disrepair due to prolonged negligence by the authorities.
“The house remained in a sorry state for years, with cracks forming on the roof yet the authorities never cared about the rich history that these old buildings hold,” said poet Shamim Ashraf, lamenting that despite repeated pleas from the local community for its preservation, no efforts were made.
On Tuesday, July 15, the Government of India appealed to Bangladesh’s interim government to preserve the historic home of Satyajit Ray, calling it a symbol of the Bangla Renaissance. India also extended its willingness to assist in repairing, restoring, and reconstructing the site.
“We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh—belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury is being demolished,” the Ministry of External Affairs of India said in a statement.
“Given the building’s landmark status symbolising the Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh. The Government of India would be willing to extend cooperation for this purpose,” the statement added.
The demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home marks a grim milestone in Bangladesh’s escalating assaults on Hindu cultural heritage
The demolition has sparked outrage in Bangladesh’s civil society, where many believe that the current interim government is attempting to erase Bengali identity and push the country toward a more hardline Islamic path. Several Bangladeshi activists and citizens are currently working to halt the destruction of the Ray family’s historic house. Though the site has not been officially designated as an archaeological monument, Sabina Yasim, a field officer of the Department of Archaeology’s Shashilaj Museum, emphasized that the house deserves protection due to its immense cultural value.
This incident is seen as yet another example of the Bangladeshi government’s apparent disregard for structures connected to Hindu heritage. Whether it is the home of the revered poet Rabindranath Tagore or the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, the trend of demolition has alarmed many observers. It seems clear that Yunus’s administration is systematically targeting historical landmarks linked to both Hindus and political opposition.
Violent mob sets ablaze the house of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after vandalising it
On February 5, vandals attacked and set fire to Dhanmondi 32, the iconic residence in Dhaka where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman lived and was assassinated. The structure was later demolished with the help of excavators and cranes. Observers claim that this action, believed to be sanctioned by interim Prime Minister Mohammad Yunus, reflects his deep resentment toward the Awami League and its leader Sheikh Hasina. Photographs from the scene show the building reduced to rubble, with crowds surrounding the debris and the words “thakbe na” (will not remain) scrawled in large letters on the wall.
The home, known as “Sheikh Bari,” which belonged to five of Hasina’s cousins, was also brought down. In Barisal, bulldozers were used to raze the homes of two senior leaders of the Awami League. These actions have been widely interpreted as politically motivated attempts to suppress dissent and erase the legacy of the ruling party and its leaders.
This brutal pattern of silencing opponents, targeting minorities, and destroying heritage sites underscores a deeper concern, how a nation that once prided itself on inclusivity and cultural richness is now bending its own history and tearing it apart for ideological convenience.
Rabindranath Tagore’s house vandalised by Islamist mobs
On June 8, the ancestral house of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh was also attacked by a mob. Tagore, a Nobel Laureate who authored the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh, is a towering figure who transcends national boundaries. His grandfather, Dwarkanath Tagore, had built the two-storey residence in Sirajganj, about 125 kilometers from Dhaka, in 1840. The attack on such a figure’s heritage site is viewed as a sign of cultural decay and rising intolerance.
India has slammed the interim government, alleging that the incident was carried out in a pre-planned manner by supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam, and holds the interim government of Mohammad Yunus responsible for failing to prevent the act of vandalism. The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and teachings that the Nobel Laureate espoused in Bangladesh. These violent actions dishonour the inclusive philosophies and legacies of cultural figures like Tagore and Ray, pillars of Bangladesh’s identity and heritage.
Islamists wreaking havoc in post-Hasina Bangladesh
The demolition of Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home is just one episode in a disturbing pattern that has emerged in Bangladesh following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. In the power vacuum left behind, Islamist outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam, and other hardline groups have begun asserting themselves more aggressively, emboldened by the apparent acquiescence, or tacit approval of the Mohammad Yunus-led interim regime.
Since Hasina’s ouster, Islamist attacks on symbols of secularism, Bengali nationalism, and Hindu temples and places of Hindu cultural import have escalated dramatically. From the burning of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic Dhanmondi 32 residence to the defacement of Tagore’s ancestral home, these incidents are not isolated; they reflect a calculated purge of Bangladesh’s pluralistic foundations. Islamist mobs have targeted temples, homes of minorities, and prominent activists, often with little to no response from law enforcement.
The silence of the administration, coupled with growing street power of radical Islamist groups, has led many to fear a return to the pre-2008 era, when Bangladesh teetered on the edge of becoming a theocratic state. These attacks, cloaked as “redevelopment” or “public anger,” are nothing less than ideological violence against the secular soul of the nation.
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