An unidentified young man, aged around 30, sustained critical injuries on 5 April early morning after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in Bahadurpur area of Ashuganj upazila on the Dhaka–Sylhet highway. Locals first took him to Ashuganj Upazila Health Complex and later to Brahmanbaria General Hospital. He died at around 10:30pm while undergoing treatment. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) attempted to identify him through fingerprint records but failed. As no relatives came forward, he was eventually buried at the unclaimed graveyard on the bank of Titas River in East Medda area of Brahmanbaria town by Batighar.
This quiet burial is one of around 250 unclaimed bodies laid to rest by Brahmanbaria-based humanitarian organisation ‘Brahmanbaria Batighar’ within just five years of its founding.
The group has built a reputation for giving dignity to those who die alone, unidentified or abandoned.
The organisation completed its 250th burial on Thursday afternoon after Asr prayers, when it buried an unidentified young man.
Each time an unidentified body arrives at the 250-bed Brahmanbaria General Hospital, authorities inform the organisation’s founder and chairman, Md Azhar Uddin. The team then takes responsibility for bathing, shrouding, funeral prayers and burial.
Md Azhar Uddin, an Engineer, said he first began the initiative in 2020 during the Covid-19 period, when families struggled to bury their dead due to fear and distress.
Later, he formally established the organisation on 27 January 2021 with 10 to 12 members, turning an informal effort into a structured humanitarian mission.
Since then, Batighar has continued its work driven by what he describes as moral responsibility. He said hospitals and police contact the organisation whenever an unidentified body needs burial. After post-mortem and legal procedures, police hand over the bodies to the group.
The organisation then arranges all burial essentials, including shrouding materials, bamboo, mats and other necessities. It conducts the funeral prayers and completes the burial according to Islamic rites.
He added that the entire cost is covered through his personal and family funding. Alongside burial services, the organisation also provides free blood donation support, oxygen assistance and help for underprivileged people.
However, the work is not without challenges. Members face serious difficulties during the monsoon season, as the burial ground lies in a low-lying area that often floods, submerging graves. The organisation has repeatedly requested the district administration and municipality to fill and renovate the graveyard, but no visible action has yet been taken.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) MM Rakibur Raja said he was scheduled to attend the burial on Thursday but could not due to an urgent meeting. He said he had served in different parts of the country but had never seen such a selfless humanitarian initiative. He described the work as rare and highly commendable.
He added that many people do not come forward to take responsibility for unclaimed bodies, but Batighar continues to do so voluntarily. He assured that the administration would continue providing support to the initiative.
Across Bangladesh, rail accidents, road crashes, drowning cases and unidentified decomposed bodies often result in unclaimed deaths. Even in cases where identities are known, relatives sometimes do not claim the bodies. In such situations, Brahmanbaria Batighar steps in.
Over time, the organisation has earned a quiet but powerful reputation in the district as the “last address of unclaimed bodies.”
