Muhammad Rafiqul Islam: People of border area of sherpur district passing their days struggling with wild elephants. There are five upazila in sherpur district and they are Sherpur sadar ,Nakla, Nalitabari, Jhinaigati, Sreebordi. Among them Nalitabari, Jhinaigati and Sreebordi are at the edge of Indian border. In last one month herd of wild elephants destroyed nearly hundreds acres of paddy field . At day time the elephants stay in deep forest and after evening they come down in human settlement. Wild elephants destitution is going on in every night . The farmers of the border area are passing their sleepless nights. Thousands of farmer are trying hard and soul to keep their paddy field safe. Making light and creating high sound they try to chase the elephants but its effect is very little.
The destruction of wild elephants started in this border area in 1997 and since then nearly one hundred people died by the attack of wild elephants. Wild elephants destroyed undermined number of houses. Farmers plant paddy but they cannot take the harvest in their house. Wild elephant eat up the harvest and damage twisting by legs. Out of deprivation and finding no other alternative hundreds of farmers migrated to other places leaving their land and home state. In last 20 years hundreds people wounded by the attack of wild elephants . At harvest time when the paddy began to ripe , the elephants become active and started causing havoc. The poor of border area said that they worked hard all day long for living. They earn or not, they must buy kerosene to lit huge light and chase wild elephants.
People of border area suffering for years but it has no remedy. Villagers complained that at first government supplied kerosene to the villagers to drive away the elephants but for long none keep in touch with them.
Besides, there are two well-known tourist attraction in this border area. One is in Jhenaigati upazila named Gozni Abakash and other in Nalitabari upazila named Modhutila eco-park . Tourists and people from different parts of the country come here to see the scenic beauty of this hilly border areas and get merriment feeling comfort. But now a days tourists and people of different part don’t feel interest in coming these area because of the afraid of wild elephants.
Local social organization ‘Staknet’ sometimes brings out rally to aware the border area people from the attack of wild elephants and at this join thousands of people from of all classes. Among the non-government organizations Jhenaigati and Sreebordi ADP, World vision of Bangladesh and Pidim foundation extend their helping hands and arranged seminar, workshop, training programs to make the people conscious of the border area. The people of border area begged help and necessary steps from the higher authority and the government.
