A hungry herd of wild elephants, struggling with an acute food shortage, has been wreaking havoc in the residential areas of Lama Upazila in Bandarban, causing extensive damage to farmers’ crops, banana plantations, and vegetable fields.
The relentless presence of these elephants has sparked widespread panic among residents.
In the early hours of Sunday, a large herd of elephants descended from the nearby forest into the Khedarban area of Ward No. 5 in Fythong Union, Lama.
The elephants destroyed the plantation of farmer Anwar Hossain, devouring nearly 200 banana trees and completely ruining his vegetable crops. That night, the herd also targeted other areas in Fythong Union, including Sutabadi, Nayapara, and surrounding villages.
Local farmers reported losses of approximately 500 banana trees, in addition to various other crops, amounting to several hundred thousand taka in financial damage.
“I couldn’t sleep because of the fear,” said Anwar Hossain. “Every night, the elephants trample over everything in their path. When I checked my garden on Saturday morning, the elephants were still there. After chasing them off, I found that they had eaten over 200 banana plants. The loss is over Tk1 lakh,” he added.
Several other farmers from the area, including Jasim, Iqbal, Mubin, Rakib, Abdur Razzak, Helal Uddin, and Shahjahan, reported similar destruction. “Our homes and farms were also attacked that night. Over 500 banana trees were damaged,” said the affected farmers.
Mohammad Habib, Range Officer of the Doluchari Range under the Lama Forest Department, confirmed that the wild elephants had caused significant damage across four areas in Fythong Union in the night.
According to M Ruhul Amin, an environmental activist in Lama, the wild elephants are venturing into human settlements due to a shortage of food in their natural habitat. “Their food sources have been destroyed by increasing human activity and settlements in the hills. During the winter months, the elephants enter villages in search of crops like paddy. We need to take immediate steps to drive them back into the hills,” he urged.
Mostafizur Rahman, divisional forest officer of Lama forest department, said that farmers affected by the elephant attacks have been advised to submit applications to the Doluchari Range Officer.
“Human settlements are shrinking the elephants’ habitats and food sources, forcing them into residential areas. Locals are urged to stay vigilant while we work on finding a long-term solution,” he added.
