Fishermen tow ‘massive’ metal structure ashore found drifting at sea, sparking public curiosity

Resembling the tank of an oil-carrying railway wagon, a massive metal structure was found floating in the Sandwip Channel of the Bay of Bengal.

The large red object caught the attention of several fishermen who had gone out to catch hilsa. They tied it to two fishing boats with ropes and towed it ashore. Since then, the unusual structure has drawn crowds of curious local residents.

The fishermen brought the structure to the Botgachtala Hilsa Landing Centre in Santoshpur Union of Sandwip Upazila on Tuesday evening. It measures approximately 35 feet in length and 10 feet in diameter.

The fishermen said they had gone fishing in the Sandwip Channel during the day’s high tide. While casting their nets, one of them noticed a large red object drifting with the current some distance away. At first, they could not identify it. As they got closer, they realised it was a gigantic metal structure.

Md. Jishu, 35, one of the fishermen who recovered it, told Prothom Alo, “We were casting our nets from the boat when we spotted the object in the distance. At first, we couldn’t tell what it was. When we got closer, it looked like an old oil tank. We tied it to the boat with a thick rope and started towing it. It was impossible for one boat to pull such a huge object, so another boat came to help us bring it ashore.”

Another fisherman, Kripa Jaldas, gave a similar account. “We went closer out of curiosity after seeing it floating in the sea. It looked like it could be part of a large old ship. Then we all worked together to bring it to shore,” he said.

The metal structure has since been tied to wooden posts in a nearby canal.

News of its arrival quickly spread among local residents, sparking widespread curiosity. Many people went to see it on Tuesday night, but because of the darkness, they could not get a good look. From Wednesday morning onward, larger crowds gathered at the site.

The unusual object also became a major topic of discussion in local markets and tea stalls, giving rise to various speculations. Some believed it had broken off from a ship and drifted ashore, while others suggested it might still contain valuable cargo.

A visit to the site at around 7:00 am on Wednesday showed the structure securely tied with ropes on both ends to posts in a canal near the landing centre. It resembles the cylindrical tank of an oil railway wagon.

Signs of prolonged exposure to the sea are clearly visible, with faded paint and extensive rust. One extended section at one end features a thick iron ring resembling a hook.

Nizam Uddin, 60, a shipbreaking worker from Kumira, Sitakunda, who has worked in the industry for many years, told Prothom Alo that the object appears to be a support column used in the crane of an ocean-going vessel. “Structures like this form part of the main framework of a ship’s crane,” he said.

However, Nayan Shil, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), offered a different opinion after examining photographs of the structure.

He said it could be part of a dredger.

“We will contact BIWTA and the Chattogram Port Authority to determine whether any such structure has gone missing,” he added.

Md. Jishu said, “We have no idea who owns it or where it came from. But if the rightful owner contacts us, we will certainly return it.”

Kripa Jaldas echoed the same sentiment. “We simply found it floating at sea and brought it ashore. If the owner comes forward, we have no objection to handing it back,” he said.

Sandwip Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sujan Halder said police had received reports that an old, empty metal structure had been brought ashore at the Santoshpur landing centre after drifting in the sea.

He added that if anyone comes forward to claim ownership, the police will assist in returning it.