Badsha Bahadur, a sick elephant used in circus work in the Mahasthangarh area of Bogura, was taken into government custody on the evening of Saturday, 4 July 2026. The elephant was formally handed over to officials of the Department of Livestock Services at Mahasthan Bandar. Jagonews24 reported that the step was taken on the instruction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to secure the animal's welfare and treatment at the National Zoo in Mirpur, Dhaka. According to the Daily Ittefaq, the elephant was sent towards the zoo in Dhaka the same night.
How the elephant came into state custody
Jagonews24 and the Daily Ittefaq reported that the elephant had fallen ill after a long period without enough food, treatment and proper care. After the matter was reported in the media, it came to the Prime Minister's attention. He ordered that the elephant be moved to the National Zoo through the Department of Livestock Services, and Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, was given charge of the arrangements.
On the state minister's initiative the owner was approached, and he agreed voluntarily to place the elephant in the custody of the Department of Livestock Services. Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ziaur Rahman said the owner had handed the animal to the government voluntarily out of respect for the Prime Minister's instruction. He said the elephant would receive the treatment, regular care and suitable environment it needs at the National Zoo.
According to the Daily Ittefaq, Rajshahi divisional forest officer Matlabur Rahman told Dhaka Post that the Forest Department had contacted the owner a few days earlier. Because the elephant was sick, it had first been decided to keep it at a safari park; under the later decision it was being moved to the National Zoo. Local administration officials and representatives of the Department of Livestock Services attended the handover, and Jagonews24 reported that local environmentalists and residents welcomed the move.
Mahasthangarh and the National Zoo
Mahasthangarh lies in Shibganj upazila of Bogura district, about 11 km north of Bogura town, beside the Karatoya River. It is the earliest urban archaeological site so far discovered in Bangladesh, the remains of the ancient city of Pundranagara, dating to at least the 3rd century BCE.
The elephant's destination, the Bangladesh National Zoo, is in Mirpur, Dhaka. Opened at Mirpur on 23 June 1974, it covers about 186 acres and is the country's largest zoo. It is run under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and was renamed from Dhaka Zoo to Bangladesh National Zoo in 2015.
Elephants in Bangladesh
A 2016 IUCN Bangladesh publication lists the Asian elephant as Critically Endangered in Bangladesh. The study found 268 resident wild elephants, 93 migratory elephants and 96 captive elephants in the country. The species is also listed in Appendix I of CITES, the convention on international trade in endangered species.
The environmental news site Mongabay reported in October 2025 that of the 96 captive elephants, 14 belonged to government bodies including zoos and safari parks, while the other 82 were kept by private owners. It reported that most private owners were using elephants to collect illegal tolls, and that in 2024 the High Court issued a directive to stop illegal activities involving wild species and cruelty towards them.
Photo: Borhan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources: Jagonews24, The Daily Ittefaq, bdnews24.com, IUCN Bangladesh, Mongabay, Wikipedia
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