Representational image.

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 13, 2026 (BSS) – Just two years old, Arsha has come to Cox’s Bazar for the first time. Beneath the moonlight sky, she walks hand in hand with her father along the sea beach while the waves of the Bay of Bengal roll ashore in the distance with a thunderous roar. As her tiny feet touch the wet sand, her face lights up with wonder and delight! The rhythmic roar of the sea and the little girl’s innocent excitement seem to merge into a magical moment of discovery.

But does the joyful little girl Arsha, lost in the joy of her first encounter  with the sea, know that plastic bottles, cups, food packets, polythene bags and thousands of other toxic wastes lie scattered around her? Some drift in the salty waters, while others are buried in the wet sand beneath her tiny feet. Slowly but relentlessly, this mounting tied of waste is poisoning the very environment that gives up life, threatening nature, marine life and own future. 

Cox’s Bazar beach cleaning workers said that they collect 60 kilograms of discarded plastic water bottles, more than 5,000 single-use tea cups and masks, and over one truckload of chips and biscuit packets, coconut shells and polythene every day from the beach’s sandy shore.

Researchers say plastic discarded into the sea never disappears. Over time, sunlight, saltwater and the waves break it down into tiny particles, creating microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics. They remain in seawater and on the seabed. Marine fish-animals mistake them for food and swallow. When these animals become part of the human food chain, the plastics can pose serious risks to human health.

Arsha’s father Asraf, an officer of a finance company, was deeply disturbed to see so much plastic along the beach. He said, “The damage being caused to the beach by careless tourists needs to be brought under control. Otherwise, the impact of plastic pollution on marine biodiversity will continue to increase.”

Microplastics have already been detected in human blood, lungs, placenta and other organs in various studies. Scientists fear that, in the long term, exposure may contribute to serious health risks, including cancer, hormonal and reproductive problems, weakened immunity and neurological complications.

Prof. Dr. Kazi Md. Barkat Ali, chairman of Geography and Environmental Studies Department at Chittagong University said, “Tourists are throwing plastic indiscriminately on the beach. These plastics do not decompose. They contain various chemicals. These eventually enter the sea and the stomachs of fish. As a result, the ecosystem is being destroyed and diseases are emerging. Due to the indiscriminate use of plastic and the lack of proper management, a dire warning sign will soon confront us."

Bangladesh is already highly vulnerable to climate change, facing rising sea levels, coastal erosion and increasing cyclone and storm-surge risks. 

Plastic pollution has now been added to these challenges. The production, transportation and burning of plastic generate large amounts of greenhouse gases, further accelerating global warming. At the same time, plastic accumulating on beaches weakens coastal ecosystems and disrupts nature’s balance.

Plastic degrades the quality of soil and water, obstructs drains and waterways and causes water logging. Burning plastic releases toxic chemicals, including dioxins, into the air, increasing the risks of respiratory problems, cancer and other diseases. 

At the same time, plastic pollution damages the beauty of beaches, putting the tourism industry at risk and affecting the livelihoods and economy of local people.

Dr. Barkat Ali said, “To protect the environmental balance, it is essential to use alternatives to polythene, develop proper waste-management practices and enforce state laws. Otherwise, plastic will not only pollute the environment, harm aquatic and terrestrial animals and increase health risks, but also have a major impact on our economy. If plastic pollution increases on the beach, the environment will deteriorate, tourists will stop coming and we will lose revenue. Moreover, the businesses that have developed around Cox’s Bazar will eventually collapse.”

Environmental activists say the use of single-use plastics must be reduced, dumping waste on the beach must stop, adequate and effective waste management must be ensured, regulations must be enforced and environmental awareness among tourists must be increased. Businesses, tourists, local residents and the administration, all stakeholders must take responsibility.

Nazrul Islam, organising secretary of the Cox’s Bazar branch of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), said, “Cox’s Bazar sea beach is being destroyed. Particularly, there are many shops at Kalatali, Sugandha and Laboni points, where food is regularly sold in plastics. These eventually reach the sea and cause the deaths of fish, turtles, corals and other marine creatures. The district administration, Fisheries Department and other concerned authorities need to act responsibly to control the situation.”

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md. A. Mannan said, “Our janitors are working to keep the beach clean. Various NGOs and volunteers are also carrying out different activities. We have installed dustbins at different points and are conducting awareness campaigns. If tourists become more conscious, it will be easier for us to keep the sea and beach clean and beautiful. Besides, local shops have been instructed not to use plastic or polythene.”

Yet Arsha still knows nothing of these situations. She only knows how to walk holding her father’s hand, play with the waves and step onto the wet sand. Today, the sea is a source of joy for her, the waves are her friends and the beach is a place where she discovers a new world.

But what will Cox’s Bazar look like when she grows up? Will it still be safe to walk barefoot on the beach where she walks today? How much plastic will the fish swimming in the sea today contain then? Standing in the darkness of night, Arsha may not know that the plastic scattered around her is not merely destroying today’s beauty, it is destroying tomorrow's world.