Ensuring human-elephant coexistence is a government priority, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources. She emphasized that initiatives will be taken to simplify and amend relevant regulations so that victims of elephant attacks can receive compensation more easily and swiftly. She also stressed the need for immediate measures to support affected farmers.
She made these remarks while virtually presiding over a review meeting held lastnight to determine actions for resolving human-elephant conflict.
The Environment Adviser said that timely measures must be taken to ensure the survival of elephants. To strengthen the Elephant Response Teams, skilled individuals from local communities should be selected and equipped with walkie-talkies and other necessary tools. She also underscored the importance of planting elephant-friendly food trees.
Highlighting seasonal challenges, she noted that during the Boro rice cultivation period, additional manpower should be deployed under special arrangements. She urged greater community participation and called for awareness training programs for school and college students. To raise mass awareness, she instructed the production of educational videos on elephants and their dissemination through social media campaigns.
Warning against harmful practices, she said all forms of video recording, including TikTok, near elephants must be strictly prohibited. She further called for the appointment of wildlife experts to help address the challenges of human-elephant conflict effectively.
The meeting was attended by Chief Conservator of Forests Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests Md. Rokibul Hasan Mukul, Deputy Commissioner of Sherpur Torafdar Mahmudur Rahman, eminent wildlife expert Professor Dr. Ali Reza Khan, Conservator of Forests of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Circle Md. Sanaullah Patowary, Project Director of the Elephant Conservation Project A. S. M. Zahir Uddin Akon, along with local leaders.