22 sued for killing elephant, trafficking body parts in Ctg

The Forest Department has filed a case over the killing of a wild elephant and the subsequent trafficking of its tusks and nails in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.

According to Forest Department officials, the incident took place at Chechuria Beat under Jaldi Range, where a 6 to 7-year-old male elephant was killed using sharp weapons.

The tusks and toenails were later removed and trafficked by the alleged perpetrators, officials said.

The case was filed by Chechuria Beat Officer Alamgir Hossain at Banshkhali Police Station last night (10 April).

A total of 22 individuals have been accused in the case, including Md Sarwar Hossain (48) and Md Zafar (52), both residents of Purbo Chechuria in Banshkhali's Boilchhari Union, while the rest remains unidentified.

Confirming the matter to The Business Standard, Chattogram South Forest Division Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said the case falls under Sections 36(1) and 36(2) of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012.

As per the case statement, the elephant was attacked between 7:00pm and 11:45pm on 6 April in a hilly area near the orchard of Md Sarwar in the Païrang forest zone of Saral Union.

The attackers inflicted fatal injuries on the elephant's head, back, ears, and rectum using sharp weapons, the case statement said.

On 9 April, Dr Supon Nandi, livestock officer of Banshkhali, conducted a post-mortem at the scene.

He reported the elephant to be approximately 6 to 7 years old, weighing around 800 kg, with tusks measuring 1.5 feet in length.

Following the autopsy, and under the guidance of the livestock officer, the elephant was buried by the Forest Department.

However, the accused had already taken away the tusks and toenails.

Officials estimate the financial loss caused by the killing of the elephant and removal of its body parts to be around Tk40 lakh (approximately USD 36,000).

The case highlights the growing threat to wildlife from illegal trafficking and poaching in the region.