Chittagong dredging: 150 year old vessel found in Karnaphuli riverbed

A ship, estimated to be around 150 years old, has been discovered at the bottom of the Karnaphuli River during the Chittagong Port dredging work, Bangladesh.

This morning, the salvage operations of the 350-foot coal-powered vessel were conducted by a local company Hiramoni Salvage Ltd.

According to local media, artifacts recovered from the ship include silver coins from 1862-82 AD, silver furniture, binoculars, and a substantial stock of coal.

Commenting the latest news, Captain Faridul Alam, deputy conservator of the Chittagong Port Authority, said that the vessel posed a risk to container ship movement in the waterway.

Md Abul Kalam, manager of Hiramoni Salvage Ltd, added: “We salvaged and removed the ship as per our agreement with the Port. There are also two more sunken ships in the riverbed that will be removed to enhance the safety and efficiency of the Port.”

The recovered artifacts have not yet been examined by experts.