Filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak's ancestral home in Rajshahi reduced to rubbles; fingers pointed at Homeopathic college

Unidentified people have demolished the ancestral house of legendary bengali filmmaker Ritwik Kumar Ghatak in Miyapara area  of Rajshahi city with many pointing fingers at the  Rajshahi Homeopathic Medical College.

The creator of timeless classics, including 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' (The Cloud-Capped Star) and 'Titash Ekti Nadir Naam' (A River Called Titas), spent his childhood and youth years in this house which now lies in ruins.

Visiting the house this afternoon (14 August), this correspondent saw the rooms completely demolished and the bricks piled in the middle of the courtyard.

Protesting the "heinous act", members of Ritwik Ghatak Film Society demanded that those involved in the demolition be brought to justice and be punished.

Anaba Kabir Prakriti, organiser of Ritwik Ghatak Film Society, pointed out that Ghatak's house was reduced to rubble but there was no sign of attack on the Homeopathic Medical College located right next to it.

Photo: TBS

The members of the society claimed that the college authorities have demolished the house to occupy the place, an attempt they had made earlier. 

The Rajshahi Homeopathic Medical College has been built by occupying one side of Ghatak's ancestral house, they said.

Filmmaker Toukir Shaik said, "They [college authorities] were waiting to find an opportunity to demolish the house for a long time. 

"To save Ritvik Ghatak's house, we had obtained a stay order from the district deputy commissioner's office so that no one could do such a thing. Also, there is no CCTV footage from 6 August noon despite having CCTV equipment in the college principal's room. Why was the CCTV turned off?"

College Principal Dr Anisur Rahman said, "On 6 August around 8pm, I was informed that a group of seven or eight people were vandalising Ritwik Ghatak's house. When I got there, I stopped them and chased them away. They were not students."

Photo: TBS

Asked about the CCTV footage, the principal claimed that the attackers destroyed the cameras and disconnected the wires.

He continued, "The next morning, I went to the spot and found the house in a very bad condition. Later, we called a contractor to clean the area but the situation got worse as the house is very old and made of clay bricks."

Contractor Shamim Mia said, "We came and saw that one side of the house was destroyed. As the rubbles was being removed, the other rooms also collapsed due to the building being very weak."

Meanwhile, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed has formed a probe committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Mohinul Hasan to investigate the incident.

"The committee has been asked to submit a report within seven working days," he said.