Wari Cemetery Restores Colombo Tomb, Moorish Gateway

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 Catherine Cook 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 Catherine Cook 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.”

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki underlined the sense of responsibility: “This effort is not just about restoring a tomb or a gateway. It is a declaration of cultural accountability. We are not only conserving the past—we are binding it to the future. Every restoration creates a bridge between history and the generations yet to come.”

Conservation architect Prof Abu Sayeed M. Ahmed, who oversaw the project, said the monuments were revived with care, not rebuilt, preserving the soul of the city, reports UNB. 

The event concluded with a fellowship tea.