Death becomes costlier in Dhaka North
The city corporation has raised the leasing fee to “discourage” citizens from preserving graves
Dhaka North City Corporation has raised the leasing fee of a grave in Dhaka North area to a maximum of Tk1.5 crore from Tk45 lakh for a period of 25 years, and Tk1 crore from Tk24 lakh for 15 years.
The city corporation authorities say the radical increase in the "booking" fee is aimed at discouraging citizens from preserving graves.
Dhaka North City Corporation Graveyard Policy-2022 has been formulated by refixing other fees including grave preservation charges for 15 years and 25 years in the six North City graveyards.
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Dhaka North Secretary (Acting) Mohammad Mahe Alam issued the new policy which came into effect on Wednesday.
Urban planners, however, said that the city corporation should also take initiative to create enough cemeteries for the city residents by avoiding the idea to discourage people from preserving graves or reducing the number of graves by increasing the fee.
In the new policy, the minimum preservation fee for graves fee has been fixed in the cemetery adjacent to the Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals Memorial.
The fee for preserving graves in this cemetery for 15 years has been fixed at Tk10 lakh for 15 years and Tk15 lakh for 25 years from the previous Tk6 lakh and Tk11 lakh respectively. Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Salim Reza told TBS that the decision was taken to discourage the citizens from preserving the graves. If everyone continues the way they want to preserve the graves, there will not be enough space in Dhaka.
The area of the graveyards is shrinking, he added.
In addition, the cost of reburying in reserved graves in North City has also been increased. In Banani cemetery, the cost has increased by Tk20,000 and in other cemeteries, by Tk10,000.
A fee of Tk50,500 has to be paid to rebury someone in the grave preserved in the Banani cemetery which was earlier Tk30,000.
For reburying in the remaining five cemeteries, a fee of Tk30,500 has to be paid which was earlier Tk20,000.
In 1996, one had to spend Tk1,20,000 to buy space for permanent graves in Banani and Uttara sector 4 graveyards. A grave in Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Cemetery could be bought for Tk25,000 to Tk35,000. The amount remained the same till 2005.
From 2005 to 2007, the purchase of permanent places for graves stopped. After that, from 2008, the grave preservation system for different periods started and the system is still in place.
Meanwhile, according to the new policy, 1.5 acres of the extended part of the Mirpur Shaheed Intellectual Cemetery will be reserved for the purpose of preserving the memory of the veteran freedom fighters where the dead freedom fighters will be buried.
Also, in the special area reserved for freedom fighters in the Mirpur Shaheed Intellectual Cemetery, there will be arrangements for preserving the graves of the freedom fighters who won titles in the war of independence. However, according to the wishes of the freedom fighter's family, they can preserve the grave in any cemetery of North City.
The policy also mentions that 10 years of free grave preservation facility will be provided in common graves designated for the freedom fighters. In this case, the name must be included in the integrated list of the Ministry of Liberation War as evidence. Fees will be applicable at the prescribed rate for the subsequent period. However, only the graves of the freedom fighters buried in the graveyard adjacent to Rayerbazar Memorial will be preserved forever.
Former President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) Akhtar Mahmud told TBS that it is not possible to reduce grave preservation or increase the area of the cemeteries by raising fees. All citizens have the right to secure a burial place after death. So, the city corporation should take a plan on how to expand the cemetery.
At present, there are six cemeteries under the Dhaka North City Corporation. These are Banani Cemetery, Uttara sectors 4, 12 and 14 cemeteries, Mirpur Martyrs' Intellectual Cemetery and the cemetery adjacent to Rayerbazaar mass killing field.
It costs Tk6,000 to Tk10,000 to bury the dead in Dhaka cemeteries including government fees. Generally, these graves last for 15-20 months.
However, the city residents allege that if the caretakers of the cemetery are given a special gratuity, it remains intact for longer.
Moreover, advanced grave preservations are completely closed at every cemetery in North City.
