New Delhi:, The demolition of legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Mymensingh has been halted after concerns were raised by India.

The Bangladesh authorities have formed a panel to see how the house, which now has just a few walls left standing, can be reconstructed.

This ancestral home of Ray at Mymensingh City belonged to his grandfather, and renowned exponent in children's literature, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury.

According to Bangladeshi media, the building, constructed over a century ago, once housed Mymensingh Shishu Academy but had been abandoned for more than a decade.

Earlier, Bangladesh authorities had cited safety risks and suggested that a new concrete structure would replace the dilapidated house and serve as a centre for cultural activities, according to an NDTV report.

Faisal Mahmud, press minister in the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, reportedly told the media that Ray never lived in the Mymensingh house.

Recently, mobs reportedly vandalised Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home at Shahzadpur in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district following a dispute between a visitor and a museum staff over a parking fee. The museum was temporarily shut and an investigation is afoot.

Bengal CM and Union govt govt had expressed concerns

The issue of the demolition was raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who requested the Centre to intervene with the Bangladeshi government to halt the demolition, stating that the house was closely linked to Bengal's cultural history.

At the same time, she had also appealed to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house.

In a post on her official X handle CM Banerjee wrote that reports of the demolition were "extremely distressing".

Soon after her appeal was issued, the Union government announced its proposal to the Bangladesh government to collaborate with Dhaka for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Ray.

(with IANS inputs)