Toxic Residues in Fluid Commons: More-Than-Economic Dispossession and Shipbreaking in Coastal Bangladesh

This article examines processes of ‘more-than-economic dispossession’ arising from pollution in the interconnected forests, tides, canals, rivers and humid airs – fluid commons shipbreaking region Sitakunda. It ethnographically explores how minority Zele fishermen workers are experiencing three interrelated forms ‘more-than-economic’ dispossession. First, extra-economic means accumulating profits by dismantling ships cheaper countries enables dispossession coastal ecologies. Second, more-than-economic points to structures political power inequalities making marginalised Bangladeshis exposed toxics ways that cannot be economically compensated. Lastly, draws on ‘more-than-human’ ethnographies: affective experiences sensing, tasting, hearing smelling reveal toxic residues biophysically damage health both human more-than-human, resulting loss ability ‘sustain life’. thus joins growing body anthropological scholarship expands as ‘matter out place’ taking its materiality seriously.