Covid-19 Victims: Burial ground moved to Rayerbazar graveyard

The government has started using the Rayerbazar graveyard as the designated place of burial for Covid-19 victims in the capital since April 30 as the previously assigned Khilgaon-Taltola graveyard has a waterlogging problem.

"Since the outbreak, burials of coronavirus victims have taken place at Khilgaon-Taltola graveyard. But we have shifted to Rayerbazar graveyard as the one at Khilgaon gets submerged after moderate to heavy showers," said Tanzina Sarwar, chief social welfare officer of Dhaka North City Corporation.

Till May 7 evening, 246 victims have been buried in the two graveyards since the beginning Covid-19 in the country, of which 176 were Covid-19 positive while 70 were suspected of being infected.

A total of 191 persons were buried in Khilgaon-Taltola graveyard while 51 at Rayerbazar graveyard. Apart from that, two were buried at Azimpur graveyard and two at Mirpur Intellectual graveyard, said Tanzina Sarwar.

As of yesterday, the death toll stands at 214, said Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The total number of infected has reached 13,770 while 5,465 samples were tested in 35 labs across the country since yesterday, Dr Nasima said.

The DNCC official said, "We had a plan to continue burials at the Khilgaon graveyard, which had a burial capacity of around 2,000. But we had to shift due to the waterlogging crisis."

She said the 96-acre Rayerbazar graveyard has a burial capacity of 1.20 lakh. "The graveyard has 16 blocks and we are primarily burying victims in Block-8," she said.

This graveyard was built in a planned way and has a better drainage system. "We will continue the burials here. At the same time, we also pray and hope that we don't need to use other blocks to bury more victims," she said.

HOW BURIALS TAKE PLACE

Three organisations -- Hamza Al-Markazul, Quantum Foundation and Rahmat A Elahi -- are involved with the burial process. Charity organisation Hamza Al-Markazul has played a key role since the beginning with the help of DNCC.

Till May 7, they have buried 216 victims in the two designated graveyards, of them 148 have been tested positive, said Shahidul Islam, acting chairman of Markazul. "We have also sent bodies of 21 Hindus to the cremation field at Postagola following proper procedures," Shahidul said.

As there was a fear of infection, initially family members of a deceased would not come to the graveyard during burial of their near and dear ones, but since the last couple of weeks the situation has changed, said Shahidul.

"Presence of family members has started to increase since the announcement of the World Health Organization that a deceased person is unlikely to spread the virus," he said.

Still the grim reality remains that the number of deaths due to coronavirus continue to take place in the country and accordingly, volunteers of Hamza Al-Markazul carry on with their social and humane responsibility of performing the last rites of those succumbing to the deadly virus.

Shahidul said they have also handed around 50 bodies (both positive and suspected) to family members who took those to outside the capital.

'A COMBINED EFFORT'

A 17-member group of volunteers are involved in the process. Being informed by the health ministry officials, the team receives the body from a hospital or other places and brings it to the graveyard after disinfecting the body properly.

"We are making sure that the bodies are being disinfected properly at the hospital before bringing those to the burial ground," said the chief social welfare official of DNCC.

She said after being disinfected, a body is put in an airtight bag and then into a coffin. "It is then taken to the graveyard. We are being utmost careful and sincere while performing our duties so that there is no chance of spreading the virus."

They also dig a four feet grave rather than 2.5 feet one. "The germs will get destroyed within a few days after burial," she said.

She said it's a joint effort. "Al Markazul brings the bodies and places those at the grave while our people dig the graves and take care of other procedures to complete the burial."

There are also three imams as well as members of Al Markazul who conduct janazas before the burial.