The restored Colombo Sahib Tomb and Moorish Gateway at the historic Wari Christian Cemetery in Narinda, Old Dhaka, were inaugurated on Saturday.
The ceremony was organised by the Cemetery Board with support from the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) and the Commonwealth Heritage Foundation (CHF).
Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki attended the event as chief guest, while British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke was present as special guest.
Diplomats from the Apostolic Nunciature, i.e. the Vatican or Holy See, and the Embassy of the Netherlands also joined the programme.
Presiding over the ceremony, Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze expressed concern over illegal occupation, unauthorised shops and antisocial activities inside and around the cemetery and urged the authorities to take urgent action, the release noted.
British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke highlighted the wider significance of the project: “This restoration deepens the historic ties between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. Preserving cultural heritage is not merely about safeguarding the past—it is a priceless gift for generations to come.”
