From gold chains to dead bodies: what rural Bangladeshi divers go underwater for

Dr. Abul Kalam was only 14 years old when he first dived under the water to find his first reward – a gold chain of one bhori (11.66 grams). It belonged to the wife of one of the richest people in his village in Bikrampur.

Kalam was paid Tk 500 for this ‘rescue mission’.

Over the past 17 years, Kalam has explored the depths of hundreds of ponds and canals in more than 20 districts of the country. From nose studs, gold necklaces and rings to dead bodies, weapons and handcuffs, Kalam dug up (or drained) every item that could sink.

Diving in village ponds and canals to find lost valuables is the profession of Kalam’s ancestors. It has been practiced for over 60 years in three generations of his family.

Kalam followed in his father’s footsteps from childhood and learned this skill.

“I can take a breath and stay underwater for more than two minutes,” Kalam said. Then he does small dips for one minute each, pauses, and then descends for another two minutes.

Bangladesh is located in the lower reaches of the Bengal Delta and a river country, dotted with ponds and water bodies throughout the area. “People here go down to these waters to bathe, wash clothes and move around. So they throw all kinds of things all the time,” said Kalam.

To find these discarded items, there are people like Kalam in every part of Bangladesh, especially in the rural areas.

In Bengali they are called “Duburi” or diver. And in the villages, these divers are called “shorno khoja duburi” (divers who find lost gold). According to Kalam, depending on the complexity of the work and the time required, the price is fixed between Tk 1,500 and Tk 6,000.

Although the exact number of duburi in Bangladeshi villages is unknown, Nazim Uddin, a professional diver with the Bangladesh Civil Service and Civil Defense, says there are about 90 divers in their unit. They participate in rescue operations for the police, army and navy, as well as for the local population.

“These rural divers have years of experience, so they can work in deep water without equipment. But the way they work can be dangerous,” Nazim said.

Tools used by village divers

Dr. Kabir Hossain has been scuba diving for 15 years as a duburi in Rajbar and says he now knows the bottom of the Padma like the pond near his home.

“I dived into the raging Padma to retrieve the corpses from the riverbed,” said Kabir.

Is it difficult to raise drowned corpses? Is it actually scary? “When plunging into the river, Anhra, Japand rope, I’m going on a mission. It’s my job, and then they don’t seem scary anymore. All I remember is that I have to bring this man (and) to the surface for his family,” replied Kabir.

On the occasions that it takes Kalam all morning to recover a lost item, he usually runs a fever after the fact. “I may be ‘half merman’, but I’m only human after all. Sometimes I get a cold or a fever, especially in winter.

Ankhra is an iron gear similar to a rake that these divers use use for collecting or loosening the soil under water. Divers also carry a metal basket (jhap) collect lost things. They tie the basket with a rope on their belt.

“Underwater, using a rake makes (the job) easier,” Kalam said, adding, “It takes less time if the person who lost something can pinpoint the exact location. In this case, we charge them 1500 Tk. 2 thousand,” he added.

For example, once a woman lost her ring while washing clothes and dishes while sitting on the ghat. It only took him a few minutes to find it.

But if they can’t point it out, it could take Kalam all morning to perform a “comb operation” in the water – which essentially means a thorough search. In this case, the charge increases. This can also happen if the body of water has regular currents, such as a canal or river.

In such cases, Kalam may have a fever. “I may be ‘half merman’, but I’m only human after all. Sometimes I get a cold or a fever, especially in winter,” he added.

“And if you call me from another district, then you will also have to pay the cost of transportation,” he added. But why call him from another area?

This is where advertising comes in. Whenever Kalam visits a place, he writes his phone number on electric poles with the message that he is collecting valuables underwater. That’s why Kalam gets around 7-10 calls every month.

When not in the water, Kalam works as a village kavirai (traditional healer) and snake catcher.

Traditional village divers versus trained fire department divers

Whereas our village divers Kabir and Kalam depend on the classics Ankhra and a Jap, Nazimuddin, who currently works in Rangamata, dons diving gear like wetsuits, air cylinders, fins, masks, etc.

According to Nazimuddin, there are two types of local divers — those who dive in ponds and other shallow bodies of water, and those who work under larger spaces such as the ocean.

“The last group uses compressed air cylinders because they have to go under deep water. You can find them in fishermen who go to the ocean. These divers mainly work to cut fishing nets under the ocean when they get stuck on something,” Nazim said.

He continued: “In the past, most people could swim, but now many young people travel and visit river areas, Kaptai Lake and the ocean, but they cannot swim. That is why so many young people drown.

And local carpenters cannot work everywhere, because they are not equipped with the necessary equipment.”

They need wetsuits because they protect people from the underwater environment. “For example, when we go deeper, the water pressure increases. The suit protects our skin and arteries from this pressure,” Nazim said.

Another important piece of equipment is a compressed air cylinder. “This is not oxygen, but air, which contains 80% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and other components – in short, the air we breathe,” he added.

When diving under water, the nitrogen in the air we breathe is absorbed into our blood due to increased pressure. If you ascend too quickly, the rapid drop in pressure will cause nitrogen bubbles to form in your blood, which can lead to decompression sickness, also known as “the bends.” in general, Symptoms may include fatigue and muscle and joint pain.

“It (also) can lead to paralysis or other serious health problems. Therefore, it is extremely important to climb slowly. A safe rate of ascent is usually around 9 meters per minute, while descent can be faster, usually around 18 to 30 meters per minute. depending on the conditions.

Proper safety stops are also important to allow your body to release nitrogen,” Nazim concluded.