A 73-year-old farmer was killed in a wild elephant attack at Eidgaon in Cox’s Bazar during the early hours of Wednesday while guarding his paddy field.
The deceased, identified as Chaber Ahmad, was a resident of East Gazalia Satgharia Para in Islamabad Union.
According to local sources, Ahmad was attempting to protect his crops by lighting a fire near the field at dawn when he was suddenly attacked by a wild elephant. The elephant struck him with its trunk, causing severe injuries to his legs, hands, and face, leading to his death on the spot.
Mohammad Abdullah, the Imam of Satgharia Para Mosque, stated that he was woken by the loud trumpeting of the elephant and discovered Ahmad’s body lying near the mosque. He noted that Ahmad was the sole breadwinner for his family, who are now left in a state of complete helplessness.
Local UP member Jubayed Ullah Jewel confirmed the incident, stating that Ahmad was a sharecropper living in extreme poverty and had a mentally ill eldest son. He urged the relevant authorities to stand by the grieving family.
Shah Alam, an official from the Phulchhari Range Rajghat, said forest department personnel visited the site following the report. He assured that the forest department would provide compensation to the victim’s family, advising them to follow the prescribed application process.
ATM Sifatul Mazhar, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Eidgaon Police Station, stated that the police recovered the body and prepared a surathal (inquest) report. The body was subsequently handed over to the family without a post-mortem examination, following their request.
