Staff Reporter :
The people face severe problem with dead bodies due to lesser number of graveyards in the Dhaka city.
Sometimes it becomes impossible to bury without lobbying with influential persons.
Consequently, most of the people have to wait for long helplessly. Ultimately, the field level employees allocate a grave taking a handsome amount of money illegally.
According to two city corporations, there are eight graveyards for the Muslims and three for the Christians in the capital. More than 1.5 crore people are living in Dhaka city, when there are spaces to bury 2,33,578 bodies.
According to Land Development Laws of 2004, it is necessary to preserve 0.04 acres of land out of 100 acres for religious purposes, including constructing graveyards.
But the laws are not respected at all.
The government of the then Pakistan took a master plan about development of graveyard in 1959. In addition, two more master plans were taken in 1995 and 2015. But those master plans have not yet been materialized.
Azimpur graveyard was established 70 years ago on 27 acres of land. There are 6,500 permanent and 30,000 temporary graves.
In Jurain graveyard, there are 2,694 permanent and 41,000 temporary graves on its 17.26 acres of land.
In Mirpur intellectuals’ graveyard, there are 30,000 permanent and 61,000 temporary graves on its 65 acres of land.
In Banani graveyard, on 10 acres of land, there are 7,514 permanent and 4,500 temporary graves.
In Uttara Sector- 4, there are 84 permanent and 580 temporary graves on its 1.10 acres of land.
In Uttara Sector-12, on its six acres of land, there is space to bury 2500 bodies. In Khilgaon graveyard, on its 5.37 acres of land there is space to bury 2700 bodies.
In Rayerbazar graveyard, the biggest in the capital, established with 96. 23 acres of land can accommodate 85,500 bodies. Besides, in Tejgaon, Mohammadpur and Wari, there are three Christian community’s graveyards.
Azimpur graveyard’s Mohrar (Superintendent) Nurul Huda said, according to City Corporation Rules, a grave can be preserved for two years.
He said that in the face of space crisis, new dead bodies are buried in old graves.
The people face severe problem with dead bodies due to lesser number of graveyards in the Dhaka city.
Sometimes it becomes impossible to bury without lobbying with influential persons.
Consequently, most of the people have to wait for long helplessly. Ultimately, the field level employees allocate a grave taking a handsome amount of money illegally.
According to two city corporations, there are eight graveyards for the Muslims and three for the Christians in the capital. More than 1.5 crore people are living in Dhaka city, when there are spaces to bury 2,33,578 bodies.
According to Land Development Laws of 2004, it is necessary to preserve 0.04 acres of land out of 100 acres for religious purposes, including constructing graveyards.
But the laws are not respected at all.
The government of the then Pakistan took a master plan about development of graveyard in 1959. In addition, two more master plans were taken in 1995 and 2015. But those master plans have not yet been materialized.
Azimpur graveyard was established 70 years ago on 27 acres of land. There are 6,500 permanent and 30,000 temporary graves.
In Jurain graveyard, there are 2,694 permanent and 41,000 temporary graves on its 17.26 acres of land.
In Mirpur intellectuals’ graveyard, there are 30,000 permanent and 61,000 temporary graves on its 65 acres of land.
In Banani graveyard, on 10 acres of land, there are 7,514 permanent and 4,500 temporary graves.
In Uttara Sector- 4, there are 84 permanent and 580 temporary graves on its 1.10 acres of land.
In Uttara Sector-12, on its six acres of land, there is space to bury 2500 bodies. In Khilgaon graveyard, on its 5.37 acres of land there is space to bury 2700 bodies.
In Rayerbazar graveyard, the biggest in the capital, established with 96. 23 acres of land can accommodate 85,500 bodies. Besides, in Tejgaon, Mohammadpur and Wari, there are three Christian community’s graveyards.
Azimpur graveyard’s Mohrar (Superintendent) Nurul Huda said, according to City Corporation Rules, a grave can be preserved for two years.
He said that in the face of space crisis, new dead bodies are buried in old graves.
Nurul Huda said, there is no law banning burial of new bodies into old graves.
There are many signboards in Azimpur graveyard showing burial of many bodies in single grave.
When contacted, Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, the Social Welfare Officer of DSCC told The New Nation, “There is no option to take money to bury any dead body in the graveyard. If any employee charges money, he must be punished.”
The officer also said, “It is a reality that city graveyards have land crisis due to increasing numbers of city dwellers.”
In these circumstances, he said, “When anyone wants to bury dead body in his village, then the City Corporation will bear transportation bills for carrying the body to the village.”
