Wild elephants face food crisis in Bangladesh belt

The Asian elephants are facing crisis of foods in Bangladesh belt. Often, the elephants come to the locality at Rangunia, Raojan, Rajostholi, Satkania, Lohagara, Banshkhali, Potia, Boalkhali in Chittagong and Chokoria, Ramu and other hilly areas of Cox's Bazar. The wild elephants use to damage  paddy fields and locality in search of food.

Besides, many times, the wild elephants killed people and villagers at hilly areas of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. Moreover, villagers also killed many elephants when the wild elephants attacked on locality last years.

Meanwhile, the Chittagong district administration has taken step to create banana garden at the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants. Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Shamsul Arefin discussed the matter in the monthly meeting of Chittagong district law and order committee held at the Chittagong Circuit house last week.

 The meeting has taken decision to save the villagers of hilly areas from the attack of the wild elephants as well as the elephants from the attack of villagers. The meeting decided to send request to the Forest Ministry to create banana gardens at the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants.

Politia Upazila Porishad Chairman Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury said in the meeting, "The villagers are being loser and living in high risk for the attack of wild elephants at Banshkhali, Potia, Satkania every months. The wild elephants have come to the locality in the night in search of foods. But, at that time, they damaged the crops land and homes in the villages at the hill side areas in Chittagong. There is hardly any step to save the villagers from the attack of the wild elephants.

 He said, there is no census of elephants in Bangladesh. "We have no measure of the living areas of elephants in forest. A living area for elephants in the forest areas are required. We should create save zone for elephants there and ensure the foods for elephants."

If we can not ensure the save zone and food for wild elephants in Chittagong and hilly areas, we would not be saved from the attack of elephants, Mojaffar Ahmed Chowdhury pointed out.

Upazila Porishad Chairman of Rangunia Muhammad Ali Shah said in the meeting, there is no food at the forest areas of Rajostholi and nearby areas for the wild elephants. So, the wild elephants used to come at the locality at Rangunia from deep forest areas in search of food. We need to create banana garden at the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants.

Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Shamsul Arefin admitted the prevailing crisis and agreed with the local leaders at the meeting. Following the discussion, Shamsul Arefin has decided to save the villagers of hilly areas from the attack of the wild elephants as well as the elephants from the attack of villagers. The meeting decided to send request to the Forest Ministry to create banana garden at the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants.

Deputy Commissioner  said, "It is fact that there are elephants in the forest areas of Chittagong belt. It is our good luck that the elephants are still living here in Chittagong belt." "We have observed that the wild elephants used to come in the locality and damaged crops in lands. Sometimes, people were killed in the attack of wild elephants and wild elephants also killed in the attack of villagers. All these are happening for lack of foods of wild elephants in the forest and near by areas," he said.

Shamsul Arefin further underscored the need for  saving crop fields, villagers and locality from the attack of wild elephants and also providing foods for them as the wild elephants help maintain bio diversity of Bangladesh. He said letter would be sent to forest ministry in this regard. As per decision of the meeting, banana garden would be created at the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants.

 It may be mentioned that on the night of the December 27, one wild elephant was killed at paddy ground at Mokamibil area under Shadhonpur Union at Banshkhali in Chittagong. Sources and locals said, the wild elephant came to paddy land in search of food. But, the elephant was touched with the electric cable causing the death of the elephant.