Amid the roaring waves of the deep-blue sea in Cox’s Bazar stands a silent warning—a ‘monster’ made of plastic. From afar, it looks as though a messenger of some unseen catastrophe has burst through the sand dunes and halted at the shoreline. But up close it becomes clear that this is more than a sculpture; it is a vivid reminder of how human negligence and discarded plastic waste are turning our planet into a monster.
Rising proudly above the sand, this enormous beast has plastic spilling out from its chest. The image of a world torn apart seems to say: the sea and nature now stand helpless in the face of human indifference. Beyond the sound of the crashing waves, one can almost hear a silent cry: “Save me—and you will save yourselves.”
This plastic monster on the beach is not just a work of art—it is the final warning of the horrors that may lie ahead.
The sculpture, built from discarded plastic waste, has been created by the Bidyanondo Foundation and the Cox’s Bazar District Administration. As part of a three-month exhibition and awareness campaign, the sculpture is now on display among the scenic sand dunes.
Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan inaugurated it on 3 December. Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Shahidul Alam, Jalal Uddin of the Bidyanondo governing body, and many others were present at the event.
Standing tall on the dunes is a vast, flesh-less plastic monster. In its giant claws lie symbols of a wounded environment, shattered human forms, and a devastated planet. At first sight it evokes fear, but a closer look reveals its true message—the silent lament of biodiversity dying from plastic pollution.
At the centre of the sculpture sits a huge globe, which the monster appears to be tearing apart. The plastic bursting out from the earth’s core sends a stark message: reckless human consumption is suffocating the planet itself.
“Through this exhibition, people will become more cautious about using plastic. This is part of our collective effort to protect the beach and the dunes. It’s an important medium for raising awareness about plastic use among tourists and local residents,” DC Md A Mannan said.
A group of artists from the Fine Arts Department of Dhaka University designed the monster. Sculptor Abir Karmakar stated that it is the world’s largest ‘ocean plastic monster’. Around six tonnes of discarded plastic were used to build it, reinforced with wood, nails, and adhesives.
Bidyanondo volunteer Muhammad Mubarak said that in the past four months, at least 80 tonnes of marine plastic have been collected from the beaches of Cox’s Bazar, Inani, and Teknaf. A portion of that waste was used to construct the sculpture. “We wanted to show people, in the bluntest way possible, how much pressure the ocean is under,” he said.
Jamal Uddin, a member of Bidyanondo Foundation, said that alongside the sculpture there are exhibitions, street plays, and musical performances—so that visitors enjoying the beach are confronted with the harsh reality of plastic pollution.
The plastic monster on Cox’s Bazar beach is more than just a sculpture; it is a brutal confession of our consumerist lifestyle. The sea, which has sustained humanity for thousands of years with beauty, life, and resources, is now suffocating under the plastic waste humans leave behind.
Today, the waves do more than sing—they warn us. They carry a message to all humankind: climate and biodiversity are in grave danger.
