The remains of posthumous Ekushey Padak recipient and writer Ahmed Sofa can now be transferred from Mirpur General Cemetery to the Intellectuals’ Cemetery after all administrative clearances were secured, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan said on Saturday.

Speaking while inspecting Hatirjheel on Saturday (June 27), Shafiqul Islam Khan said the only remaining requirement had been clearance from the Deputy Commissioner’s office, which has now been obtained.

“The family can have the grave relocated on any day if they wish,” he said.

The assurance follows concerns raised earlier by Ahmed Sofa’s family over delays in the relocation process. On Wednesday (June 24), a media report said that while the DNCC had agreed to the transfer, the district administration had yet to respond.

The following day, Thursday (June 25), Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam issued the required clearance and sent a letter to the DNCC’s chief executive officer approving the transfer.

The process began in January this year when Ahmed Sofa’s nephew, writer Nurul Anwar, submitted a written application to the DNCC requesting that the author’s grave be moved.

In the application, he wrote: “Ahmed Sofa made significant contributions to Bangladesh’s arts, literature, politics and social service. But he has not been properly recognised so far. To honour him appropriately, it is necessary to relocate his grave from the general cemetery to the Intellectuals’ Cemetery.”

On April 13, the 14th meeting of the Dhaka North City Corporation approved a proposal to transfer Ahmed Sofa’s remains from the general section of Mirpur Cemetery to the Intellectuals’ Cemetery.

Background

Ahmed Sofa, who was awarded the Ekushey Padak posthumously, is currently buried at Mirpur General Cemetery. His family has sought to relocate his grave to the Intellectuals’ Cemetery in recognition of his contributions to Bangladesh’s literature and public life.