BNCA begins a shadow investigation into elephant killing in Cox’s Bazar

The Bangladesh Nature Conservation Alliance (BNCA), a united platform of 33 environmental organizations, has launched a ‘shadow investigation’ into the recent incidents of elephant killing in different parts of the country.

The BNCA began the investigation in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday (December  As part of the shadow investigation, a three-member team of the alliance, led by secretary general of Save Our Sea (SOS) Muhammad Anowarul Hoque, held a meeting with divisional forest officer of Cox’s Bazar South Forest Department Mohammad Sarwar Alam. The two other members of the ‘shadow investigation’ team are-- member of the convening committee of BNCA journalist Kefayet Shakil and chief executive of the Environment People Rashedul Majid.

In Wednesday’s meeting, the BNCA leaders expressed concern over the continuous killing of wild elephants in the country, including Cox’s Bazar. They called upon the forest official to take effective measures in stopping the killing of the wildlife animals, including elephants. The meeting discussed in detail various issues, including resolving elephant-human conflict, causes of elephant killing, and the crisis of elephant corridor, habitat and the food crisis. At the time, Sarwar Alam claimed that a total of 6,000 acres of forestland were occupied by Rohingyas, which had caused more damage to wildlife in the region, including elephants.

The forest is constantly declining and elephants are losing food due to human habitation in the elephant corridor and cutting down trees for cooking, he added. The meeting also discussed some other issues, including providing illegal power connection in deep forests and manpower crisis of the forest department. Later, the members of the shadow investigation team of the Bangladesh Nature Conservation Alliance (BNCA) asked the Cox's Bazar North and South Forest Department for details of the elephant killing.

The Bangladesh Nature Conservation Alliance (BNCA) was formed on November 24 in 2021 to protest the failure of the forest department to save wildlife, including elephants. A total of 33 environmental organizations came under the fold of the alliance with the promise of working to protect the environment, forest and wildlife of the country. The alliance, however, held a daylong cultural sit-in programme in front of the Bon Bhaban (building of forest department) in Dhaka on November 28. Later, the alliance announced that it would launch a ‘shadow-investigation’ over the recent incidents of elephant killing.