126-acre Bangladesh Cemetery project with 1 lakh graves set to begin operations in New York
Infrastructure development began on 31 July 2025 with a plan to prepare more than one lakh graves.
Bangladesh Cemetery, a one-lakh-grave project owned by Bangladeshis in New York, will begin operations on 20 June, with burial activities scheduled to start from 1 July.
The cemetery, described by organisers as the largest project by Bangladeshis outside Bangladesh, has been developed by The Greater Noakhali Society USA Inc in Scotchtown, Orange County, New York State, fully following Muslim religious rites.
At a Meet the Press event on 11 June, cemetery spokesperson and Greater Noakhali Society President Zahid Mintu said the organisation purchased 126 acres of land at 240 Corners Road, Scotchtown, on 16 December 2024.
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Infrastructure development began on 31 July 2025 with a plan to prepare more than one lakh graves. In the first phase, space for 20,000 graves has been prepared and sold to 30 social organisations and institutions.
The cemetery will have facilities for funeral prayers. Grave digging, lowering of bodies and related work will be done using machines. All equipment has been purchased and workers have been appointed.
Burials will take place from Monday to Saturday between 9am and 5pm. Sunday burials may be arranged through discussion. Funeral home services are not available at present, but organisers said such facilities will soon be established in New York City and near the cemetery.
Work on another 50,000 graves is expected to begin in July-August. Burial costs, excluding the price of grave space, will be $2,500 for adults and $1,200 for children. Headstones will cost $1,250, while those without pre-purchased grave space will have to pay $1,000 for the plot.
Jamaica Community Alliance Secretary Maulana Manjurul Karim said the cemetery would become a matter of pride for Bangladeshis and Muslims, adding that his organisation has taken space for 800 graves, while Munshiganj-Bikrampur Association Secretary Masud Rana Tapon said his organisation has taken space for 500 graves and is happy that the Bangladesh Cemetery project has been implemented quickly as a dedicated cemetery for Bangladeshis and Muslims, unlike combined cemeteries used by people of different faiths.
