Two elephants have been spotted in a maize field in South Kashimganj village of Banglabandha union, Tetulia upazila, Panchagarh. Locals believe they entered about three kilometres into Bangladesh through the Roshanpur border.

On the morning of Tuesday, 20 February, the elephants injured a cow on a road in the area and broke the wall of a bathroom at a house. Until midday they stayed in a maize field on the bank of the Mahananda river in Tetulia.

Thousands of people from different areas gathered to see the pair. On receiving the news, forest department and fire service staff reached the spot and urged onlookers to keep a safe distance.

Jesmin Begum of Kashimganj said: "The two elephants broke the tin fence of our house and the bathroom wall. We were inside the house at the time and were very frightened. We fled and took shelter outside."

Nurul Huda, beat officer of the upazila forest department, said: "The Indian forest and wildlife department has already contacted us. Steps will be taken to rescue the two elephants and send them to India."

Sohrab Hossain, acting station officer of the Tetulia fire service, said onlookers were being urged to leave the area and move to a safe distance, and efforts were being made to ensure the elephants were not provoked in any way.

Assistant district forest conservator Nurun Nahar said the Indian forest and wildlife department had been contacted and had said it would rescue the elephants and take them to India. "We will have to wait a little longer for that," she said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.