We are disheartened to learn of the demolition of the ancestral home in Mymensingh of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, father of poet Sukumar Ray and grandfather to renowned filmmaker, screenwriter, and author, Satyajit Ray.
That the home is being destroyed to make way for a new structure is only part of the issue; that this century-old house had essentially been abandoned for over a decade and reduced to such a state of disrepair is a powerful symbol of our complete failure to recognize and preserve what can be termed as a part of our culture, heritage, and history.
The residence should have long stood as a monument or a museum dedicated to the lineage that shaped the cultural and intellectual legacy of this region and beyond instead of the neglect that it faced that allowed it to fall into such a state.
That what was once a vibrant property had been all but forgotten is a sign that we have grown indifferent to our heritage and history. Yet, history and heritage have long held value, and as we look to become a better Bangladesh, this is an area where we must also do better.
Our rapid pace of development cannot be at odds with the very foundation upon which our identity rests. Historical sites of such magnitude should not be requiring restoration after years of neglect; they deserve active stewardship long before such a time comes.
