Bagerhat: A mother and her three-year-old daughter were tragically killed in a wild elephant attack early Thursday morning in the Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The incident took place around 5.00 am in the Syed Colony of the West Khuniapalong area under Khuniapalong union.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the deceased were identified as Chemon Ara, aged 25, and her daughter Asma Bibi. Both were residents of the area, and the tragic event has left the local community in shock and mourning.
Local residents reported that a herd of three wild elephants entered the settlement during the early hours, causing damage to boundary walls and uprooting trees, which led to panic among the villagers. Eyewitness Belal Uddin recounted that Ekram Mia, Chemon Ara’s husband, and his family rushed outside upon hearing the commotion. Although he managed to escape with his six-year-old son, Rehan Uddin, the mother and her younger daughter were attacked and killed on the spot.
Md. Tosaddek Hossain, the Dhoapalong Range Officer of the Bangladesh Forest Department under Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division, stated that forest officials responded promptly to the incident and succeeded in driving the elephant herd back into the deeper forest. They are taking further measures to monitor and manage elephant movement in the region to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Inspector Md. Farid of Ramu Police Station confirmed that a police team visited the scene, and the bodies were subsequently handed over to the grieving family. Ramu Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Fazle Rabbani Chowdhury assured that the administration will provide necessary assistance to the affected family as they navigate through this difficult time.