Mirpur: A Rohingya woman and her young daughter were killed in a wild elephant attack in the Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred early Thursday, causing alarm among the local residents.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the victims were identified as 27-year-old Asma Bibi and her 3-year-old daughter, Chemon Ara Begum. They were residents of Syed Colony in West Khuniapalong under Khuniapalong union. Locals reported that the elephants entered the area around 6am, creating panic in the community.
Jubairul Islam, a madrasa teacher, stated that upon hearing the commotion, Asma’s husband, Md Ekram Mia, managed to flee with their six-year-old son, Rehan Uddin. Unfortunately, Asma Bibi and her younger daughter were unable to escape and died at the scene.
Khuniapalong Union Parishad member Zainal Abedin described the herd of three elephants as highly aggressive, giving the victims no opportunity to evade the attack. After the tragic incident, the elephants moved toward nearby hills, causing further damage by destroying houses and consuming local fruit crops.
Md Tosaddek Hossain, the range officer of Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division (Dhoapalong Range), stated that forest officials successfully drove the elephants back into the deeper forest. Measures are being implemented to monitor and control the elephants’ movements to prevent future incidents.
Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam Bhuiyan from Ramu Police Station said that police officers visited the site, conducted inquest procedures, and returned the bodies to the family. He also mentioned that a case of unnatural death will be filed in connection with this event.