Child dies in elephant attack in Chittagong

A two-year old boy died in an elephant attack at Boalkhali upazila in Chittagong early Saturday.

The deceased identified as Md Akib, was son of Shamshul Alam.

Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, Boalkhali police station OC Neyamat Ullah, said the incident took place in Karaldenga under Boalkhali upazila at 1:30am.

“The boy along with his father was returning home from a nearby fair. All of a sudden, a wild elephant attacked them and the boy died on the spot,” said the OC.

According to available data, 15 people have been killed in different upazilas of Chittagong in the last six months.

Villagers in fear of wild elephant attacks in Chittagong

Panic-stricken villagers are passing sleepless nights amid fear of attack by rampaging wild elephants in some areas of Chittagong.

The elephants come to the villages at night, destroy paddy fields and leave before daybreak triggering panic among the locals.

Acute food shortage in the forest is compelling the wild elephants to invade crop fields, said the wildlife conservationists.   

Abu Naser Md Yasin Newaz, divisional forest officer (DFO), Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, Chittagong told Dhaka Tribune that the number of elephant attacks rose alarmingly in Chittagong region mainly due to habitat loss.

“During the dry season, wild elephants come to the locality in search of food and water. The incidents of wild elephant attack particularly rise during paddy harvesting season. Wild elephants behave violently if disturbed,” he said.

“People should not overreact towards them. Any sort of overreaction may result in human casualty. The elephants will move away after damaging some crops. We will give proper compensation to the affected people for any damage done to the crop fields or any property. So, there is nothing to panic here,” added the DFO.