Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan has said there is no longer any obstacle to relocating the grave of posthumous Ekushey Padak recipient and renowned writer Ahmed Sofa from Mirpur General Graveyard to the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.
Speaking to reporters after visiting Hatirjheel on Saturday, Shafiqul Islam Khan said the required clearance from the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office had already been obtained.
“The family may proceed with the relocation at any time,” he said.
The issue gained attention after Ahmed Sofa’s family alleged that the process had been delayed due to administrative complications.
Following a media report published on June 24, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam sent a letter to the DNCC chief executive officer on June 25 granting approval for the transfer of the grave.
Commenting on the matter, intellectual Salimullah Khan said bureaucratic hurdles had stalled the relocation process for a long time, but media coverage helped expedite the necessary procedures.
He urged the authorities to complete the relocation before June 30, Ahmed Sofa’s birth anniversary, or by July 28, the anniversary of his death.
Salimullah Khan also said a place has already been designated for Ahmed Sofa’s grave beside that of National Professor Abdur Razzaq at the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.
In January this year, writer Nurul Anwar, Ahmed Sofa’s nephew, submitted a written application to DNCC seeking the relocation of the grave. The application stated that despite Ahmed Sofa’s immense contributions to Bangladesh’s literature, arts, politics and social thought, he had not received the recognition he deserved. It argued that relocating his grave to the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard would be a fitting tribute to his legacy.
Subsequently, at its 14th board meeting held on April 13, DNCC approved the relocation of Ahmed Sofa’s remains from the general section of Mirpur Graveyard to the Intellectuals' Graveyard.