DHAKA (REUTERS) - The only graveyard dedicated to Covid-19 victims in Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka is seeing a substantial increase in burials amid a fresh wave of infections that has forced the country into an extended lockdown.

The Rayerbazar graveyard, which sits on the outskirts of north Dhaka, is the only place where Covid-19 victims have been buried since April 2020.

"Every day, 15 to 20 bodies arrive at this graveyard for burial, and for these bodies, we prepared all these graves in advance. Thousands of people are dying," said Mr Jasimuddin, the caretaker of Rayerbazar who goes by only one name, after a burial on Wednesday (April 28).

The Dhaka Tribune reported that 27 coronavirus victims were buried in the graveyard in January, nine in February and 55 in March.

But in April, burials spiked to over 100 in just the first two weeks.

As a result, new plots are being dug at the 32ha graveyard every day.

On Tuesday, Bangladesh recorded 3,031 new cases of Covid-19 and 78 deaths.

In total, the country has registered 754,614 coronavirus cases and 11,305 deaths.