Residents living inside the Kaptai hydroelectric power plant area in Rangamati are spending their nights in fear of elephant attacks. As soon as evening falls, they pass the night in dread.

A herd of wild elephants stayed around Kaptai Bidyut Bhaban and the Kaptai Box House area throughout the night of 1 April, said Sakhawat Kabir, assistant director (security) of the Kaptai hydroelectric power station.

He said a herd of elephants took up position beside Bidyut Bhaban at around 7pm on Monday. "We drove the herd away by blowing whistles and making a racket. Residents nearby stayed inside their homes for safety."

Earlier, at 3am on the night of 29 March, a herd of elephants wrecked the Ansar barracks and officers' quarters at the Box House in the Kaptai power station area, said Shahadat Hossain, senior station officer of the Kaptai fire service and civil defence station.

Farhana Ahmed Popi and Mizanur Rahman Rasel, residents of Kaptai Right Bank, said they came face to face with elephants below Bidyut Bhaban on Monday when they set out for Notun Bazar after iftar. "We drove the elephants away by shouting. This has made it hard for us to go about our normal lives."

Subal Das, a resident of the Kaptai Project area, said he ran into an elephant at the lower bazar in Chowdhury Chhara two days earlier and escaped with his life by a whisker.

Bakul, a member of staff at Kaptai PDB, said he came upon an elephant one night the day before while on duty at Bidyut Bhaban, and saved himself by running into the building.

Abu Sufian, Kaptai range officer of the Chittagong Hill Tracts South Forest Division, said the elephants are rampaging in populated areas because there is no food in the forest. "We are cutting forests for jhum farming without planning, and some people are felling trees and clearing the forest. As a result elephant habitat is being destroyed. Everyone should take care that elephant habitat is not destroyed."

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