A speech-impaired woman named Rahima Begum, 20, has been killed in a wild elephant attack in Lama upazila of Bandarban. The incident happened on Tuesday night (23 February) in the remote hilly area of Puittarjhiri in the upazila's Sarai union.

Locals said a herd of wild elephants came down from the deep hills into Puittarjhiri village on Tuesday night. The elephants first began smashing the house of local resident Abul Mia, then, one after another, the houses of Md Jahangir and Nurul Kabir of the area and of Solaiman and Mofizur Rahman of Purba Chambi Amtali Para in Aziznagar union.

Sensing the attack, Rahima Begum left her house to save herself and fell into the elephants' path. She died on the spot. At the same time the elephants destroyed paddy and rice kept in homes and banana plants in gardens.

Nurul Kabir, Jahangir Alam and Solaiman, whose homes were attacked, said a herd of 14 to 15 wild elephants raided the village at night, smashed houses and ate the paddy and rice inside. Villagers stayed up all night trying to drive them away.

Local union parishad members Haris Mia and Nasir Uddin said that often even staying up all night lighting fires, beating drums and shouting fails to move the herd. "If we frighten them too much, the elephants charge at us. So there is nothing we can do but watch," they said.

Md Alamgir, inspector (investigation) at Lama police station, said the body of the woman had been recovered and handed to her family.

Lama Divisional Forest Officer SM Kaychar said he had been told that herds of wild elephants had run amok in several paras of Sarai and Aziznagar unions. Compensation will be arranged for the dead woman and those affected by the Forest Department according to the rules, he said.

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