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Nearly 25 years after his death, the grave of renowned Bangladeshi writer and intellectual Ahmed Sofa has been relocated to the Martyred Intellectuals’ Cemetery in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Ahmed Sofa, an Ekushey Padak recipient, died on July 28, 2001. He was originally buried in the section of the Mirpur cemetery designated for the general public, where his grave was listed as No. 1080.
On Wednesday, under the supervision of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), his remains were moved to the section of the cemetery reserved for nationally honoured intellectuals and freedom fighters.
DNCC Social Welfare Officer Goutam Kumar Biswas said the exhumation began around 11:00am and was completed between 12:30pm and 12:45pm, with rain causing a slight delay.
According to the DNCC, Ahmed Sofa’s family submitted an application on January 11 requesting that his grave be relocated to the Martyred Intellectuals’ Cemetery.
The application, filed by his nephew Nurul Anwar, stated that Ahmed Sofa had made significant contributions to Bangladesh’s literature, culture, politics and society but had not received the recognition he deserved. It argued that relocating his grave would be a fitting tribute to his legacy.
The proposal was discussed at the 14th meeting of the DNCC on April 13, where it was unanimously approved.
Following the decision, the DNCC’s Social Welfare Department initiated the process of relocating Ahmed Sofa’s grave from the general burial section to the Martyred Intellectuals’ Cemetery.