Food Minister Abdullah Al-Noman formally handed over the document of the land to Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka in presence of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at a simple ceremony at the International Conference Centre.

The land adjacent to the Azimpur graveyard now houses a transport workshop of the Food Department.

Some 40 to 45 bodies are buried everyday at Azimpur, the biggest of the five graveyards under the DCC, set up in 1850 on nearly 32 acres of land. About 80 to 90 bodies are buried daily in the other four graveyards at Banani, Jurain, Mirpur and Uttara.

Khaleda in her address at the function pointed to the long-felt need for the expansion of the Azimpur graveyard.

Mentioning the growing population of the capital, she said that she had directed the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to build graveyards near Hazaribag flood embankment area, behind Mirpur Zoo, and at Aftabnagar and Sayedabad areas.

She also urged all to consider re-burial on each grave instead of permanent graves to overcome the crisis of space.

Khaleda Zia also took the opportunity to ask the leaders and ward commissioners of the DCC to help keep the capital clean.

She said: "International and regional conferences, workshops and seminars are being held on regular basis in the capital. Many foreigners come on business purpose. Tourists also come in the winter...I hope you'll be more conscious in keeping the city clean and improving the environment so that foreign guests can take back a better image of Bangladesh."

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan was the special guest at the function.