From gold chains to bodies: Things Bangladeshi village divers go underwater for

Md Abul Kalam was only 14 when he first dived under a pond to find his first bounty - a gold chain of one bhori (11.66 grams). It belonged to the wife of one of the richest men in his village in Bikrampur. 

Kalam was given Tk500 for this 'rescue mission.'

For 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 pins, gold necklaces and rings to dead bodies, weapons and handcuffs, Kalam has unearthed (or unwatered) every object that can sink. 

Diving in village ponds and canals to find lost valuables is Kalam's ancestral profession. It has been practised for over 60 years for three generations in his family. 

Kalam followed his father's footsteps since childhood and learned the skill. 

"I can take a breath and stay underwater for more than two minutes," Kalam said. Then he takes small dives for one minute each, takes a break and then goes down for another two minutes. 

Bangladesh is on the downstream of the Bengal delta and a riverine country, it is dotted with ponds and water bodies all around the land. "People here get down to these waters to take a bath, wash clothes and for transportation. So they drop all kinds of things all the time," Kalam said. 

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

In Bangla, they are called 'Duburi' or diver. And, in village areas, these divers are called 'shorno khoja duburi' (divers who find lost gold).  Depending on the complexity of the work and the time it is needed, the price is fixed from Tk1,500 to Tk6,000, according to Kalam. 

Although the exact number of duburis across Bangladeshi villages is not known, according to Nazim Uddin, a professional diver of Bangladesh Civil Service and Civil Defence, there are around 90 divers in their department. They take part in rescue missions for the police, army and navy, as well as for local people. 

"These village divers have years of experience, that is why they can work in deep water without equipment. But the way they work can be dangerous," Nazim said. 

Tools village divers use

Md Kabir Hossein has been diving underwater as a duburi for 15 years in Rajbari and says he now knows the bed of Padma like the pond next to his home.

"I dived into the fierce Padma to bring out dead bodies from the river bed," Kabir said. 

Aren't drowned dead bodies heavy to lift? Or scary, as a matter of fact? "When diving into the river with Anchra, Jhap, and rope, I go on a mission. It is my job, and then they don't seem scary anymore. All I remember is that I have to take that man out [and] up to the surface for his family," Kabir replied. 

In cases when it takes Kalam the whole morning to recover the lost item, he usually comes down with a fever after the fact. "I might be a 'half aquatic' but I am only human at the end of the day. And some days I get a cold or a fever, especially during the winter season.

Anchra is an iron-made rake-like equipment that these divers use for gathering, or loosening the soil underwater. Divers also carry a metal basket (jhap) to collect the lost items. They tie the basket with a rope on their waist. 

"When underwater, using a rake makes it [the job] easier," Kalam said, adding, "It takes less time if the person who lost something can point out the exact spot. In that case, we charge them Tk1,500-2,000," he added.

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

But if they cannot point it out, it might take Kalam an entire morning to run a 'comb operation' down the water – which essentially means searching thoroughly. In that case, the charge increases. This might also happen if the water body has regular currents, like a canal or a river. 

In such cases, Kalam might come down with a fever after the fact. "I might be a 'half aquatic' but I am only human at the end of the day. And some days I get a cold or a fever, especially during the winter season," he added.

"And if you are calling me from a different district, you will have to give me the transport fare as well," he added. But why would people from a different district call him? 

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

When Kalam is not in the water, he works as a village Kaviraj (folk medicinal practitioner) and a snake catcher. 

Traditional village divers vs trained fire service divers

While our village divers Kabir and Kalam depend on a classic Anchra and a Jhap, Nazimuddin, who is currently posted in Rangamati, dons diving gear like scuba diving suits, compressed air cylinders, fins, masks, etc. 

According to Nazimuddin, among the local divers, there are two kinds — one who dives in ponds and other shallow water bodies and the ones who work under bigger spaces like the ocean. 

"The latter group uses compressed air cylinders as they have to go under deep water. You can find them with fishermen who go into the ocean. These divers mainly work to cut fishing nets under the ocean when stuck to something," Nazim said. 

He continued, "Earlier, most people knew how to swim, nowadays, many young people travel and visit river areas, Kaptai Lake, and the ocean, but they don't know how to swim. That is why so many young people are drowning. 

And the local duburis cannot work in every place as they are not equipped with necessary gears." 

They need scuba suits because they protect people from the underwater environment. "For example, as we go deeper, the water pressure increases. The suit protects our skin and arteries from that pressure," Nazim said. 

Another crucial piece of equipment is the compressed air cylinder. "This is not oxygen, but air that contains 80% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and other components — in short, the air we breathe in," he added.

When diving underwater, the nitrogen in the air we breathe is absorbed into our blood due to the increased pressure. If you ascend to the surface too quickly, the rapid decrease in pressure causes nitrogen to form bubbles in the bloodstream, which can lead to decompression sickness, also known as 'the bends.' Generally, symptoms can include fatigue and pain in muscles and joints.

"This can [also] result in paralysis or other serious health issues. Therefore, it's crucial to ascend slowly. A safe ascent rate is typically around 9 meters per minute, while the descent can be faster, usually around 18 to 30 meters per minute, depending on conditions. 

Proper safety stops are also essential to allow your body to off-gas nitrogen," Nazim concluded.