A community committee president in Ramu, Cox's Bazar, who had urged local people to stay alert to wild elephant attacks, has been killed by an elephant. The incident happened at about 4:30am on Saturday, 14 December, in the Chikon Chhara area on the Panjegana-Sonaichhari road in Rajarkul union of the upazila.

The dead man, Abdul Haque (45), was the son of Md Hossain alias Madu of Dhalarmukh village in Rajarkul union. He was serving as president of the Dhalarmukh Naya Para community committee.

His son, Rifat Hossain, said his father left home at dawn to fetch ripe paddy from Sonaichhari and was attacked by the elephant on the way. The elephant trampled him and he died on the spot.

Rajarkul union parishad chairman Mufizur Rahman confirmed the incident, saying they went to the scene on hearing the news. He said herds of wild elephants had been moving through the area more often for several days, damaging houses, lives and property in settlements. Community committee president Abdul Haque had warned people to be careful, yet he himself lost his life to a wild elephant, and panic has gripped the area since.

Ramu police station officer-in-charge (OC) Emon Kanti Chowdhury said the body had been handed over to the family.

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