A giant creature now stands on the beach—surrounded by curious crowds, selfie-takers, and a growing buzz on social media. But this is no mythical beast. It is made entirely from plastic waste collected from the sea and beaches.
To raise public awareness about the alarming threat of plastic pollution in the ocean, volunteers have built this enormous sculpture—dubbed the “Plastic Monster”—at Seagull Point in Cox’s Bazar. The initiative has been jointly undertaken by the Cox’s Bazar District Administration and the volunteer organization Bidyanondo Foundation. The sculpture will remain on display for three months.
The installation was inaugurated on Wednesday evening (December 3) by the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, Md. A. Mannan.
“This is a commendable initiative to save our sea from pollution,” he said. “It will play a vital role in increasing awareness among millions of beachgoers.”
Jamal Uddin, a governing body member of Bidyanondo Foundation, said,
“Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment has taken a strong stance against plastic pollution. Aligning with the government’s policy, we have recycled 500 metric tons of discarded plastic nationwide through voluntary efforts.
This not only reduces the cost of plastic waste management but also shows how waste can be transformed into resources through recycling. As part of a six-month campaign against plastic pollution in Cox’s Bazar, we are organizing both recycling work and public-awareness art exhibitions like this one.”
The sculpture was designed and constructed by a team of artists from the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University. Sculptor Abir Karmakar shared that besides ocean plastic, the structure includes wood, nails, adhesive, and other materials. According to the artists, it is the world’s largest sea-plastic sculpture, using nearly 6 metric tons of plastic waste.
Volunteer coordinator Muhammad Mubarak of Bidyanondo Foundation said that over the last four months, around 80 metric tons of marine plastic waste have been collected from beaches in Cox’s Bazar, Inani, and Teknaf.
Part of that waste has now taken shape as the “Plastic Monster.” The initiative aims to raise awareness among tourists and locals visiting the world’s longest sea beach. During the peak tourism season, the site will also host street drama, musical performances, and other outreach events focused on fighting plastic pollution.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
