A suspected unexploded bomb from the Second World War (WWII) has been recovered from a remote village in Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu upazila, where residents unknowingly used it for washing clothes for nearly 10 years.
Police said they found the bomb-like object in Lot Ukhiarghona Tachchakhali area of Ward No 8 under Kauwarkhop union in Ramu.
Preliminary assessment suggests the object dates back to the Second World War. Authorities have started the process to safely neutralise it.
Ramu police station officer-in-charge Monirul Islam Bhuiyan said the object had originally been lying in a pond. Around a decade ago, a local resident pulled it out and placed it on the bank. Since then, villagers regularly used it as a surface for washing clothes.
He said a concerned local citizen informed police about the matter. Officers visited the spot on Friday. They moved the object to a safer location, cordoned off the area and increased monitoring.
After police alerted the army, army personnel inspected the site and took necessary steps to defuse the bomb.
Public interest grew after Ramu-based history researcher and lawyer Shirupan Barua posted two photographs of the object on social media on 23 January. The images sparked widespread discussion and curiosity. Out of personal interest, he visited the site the same day along with a teacher.
In his Facebook post, Barua wrote that people had washed clothes on the bomb for years. He said authorities needed to check whether it still contained explosives. If not, he suggested preserving it as a Second World War relic, calling it part of Ramu’s history.
Barua said he had known about the object earlier. He believes it may have been manufactured in Japan and is currently inactive.
He said the object resembles a gas cylinder but is noticeably larger and longer in shape.
