By Mizan Rahman
Three persons were killed in an attack by rampaging wild elephants in Nayakhal area of Kheochhiya union under Satkania sub-district in southeastern Chittagong district, a report reaching Dhaka yesterday said.
The deceased are Mahbubul Alam Talukdar, 35, son of late Abul Hossain Talukdar of the area, Shakil, 15, son of Md Forkan of Kaliaish area of the sub-district and Shahadat Hossain, 30, son of Ameer Hossain.
Sub-inspector (SI) of Satkania police station Kazi Golam Kibria said: “The incident took place near Cox’s Bazaar-Chittagong highway.”
Some 14 elephants came down to the crop fields beside the highway at around 6:30pm. After people tried to stop them from destroying the crops, the elephants attacked killing one man on the spot, the SI said.
Two injured were taken to a local clinic where the doctors declared them dead, he added. Environmentalists say the elephants are battling for survival.
Loss of habitats and food sources force the wild elephants to raid villages in search of food, triggering a conflict with villagers.
These mega-herbivores, that can consume a year’s harvest in just a few days, raid croplands and gardens.
According to officials, a herd of about 15 to 20 wild elephants entered Bangladesh from Meghalaya in India and other states in 1997. They did not go back as the hills offered them abundant food and habitat.
However, things started being different as these animals have bred and tripled their number over the
years while people have continued to encroach on their habitat.
“How can we survive if they (elephants) destroy all our crops?” asked a farmer of Nakugaon village.
