Bangladesh Asian Elephants: A Race Against Extinction

In the misty hills of Chattogram, where forests once echoed with the low rumbles of elephants, silence is spreading fast. The herds that once moved freely from Myanmar through the green belts of Cox’s Bazar are now fragmented and desperately trapped between expanding human settlements and industrial zones.

Bangladesh’s remaining wild elephants, numbering barely 268, face a shrinking habitat and escalating conflicts with humans. Local authorities and conservationists warn that without urgent measures, the country could lose its wild elephants within the next decade, a loss that would resonate far beyond Bangladesh’s borders, touching global biodiversity and conservation efforts.

Shrinking Corridors, Rising Alarm

Historically, Bangladesh’s elephants roamed lush forests, grasslands, and hills, particularly in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Mymensingh. They migrated along natural corridors connecting India and Myanmar, following seasonal changes and food availability. A century ago, these corridors spanned vast stretches, allowing the species to thrive across South Asia.

Today, relentless human encroachment has drastically fragmented these habitats. Roads, settlements, factories, brick kilns, and industrial zones have blocked or destroyed at least three of the country’s 12 original elephant corridors. The elephants’ instinctive memory of traditional routes now leads them straight into human settlements, where conflicts escalate.

A 2016 survey by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recorded 457 elephants in Bangladesh, including 268 wild, 93 migratory, and 96 in captivity. These numbers underscore the rapid decline over recent decades.

Human-Elephant Conflict: A Deadly Escalation

The shrinking of habitats has created a deadly interface between humans and elephants. Over the last decade, at least 124 wild elephants were killed, many due to electrocution, poaching, train accidents, or retaliatory attacks. Simultaneously, 83 people lost their lives in encounters with elephants, and hundreds of families suffered property damage.

In the Chattogram region alone, between 2016 and 2025, 102 wild elephants died, while 45 human fatalities were recorded from 2019 to early 2025. Crops were destroyed, homes damaged, and villagers forced into a constant state of vigilance. In 2020, 82 elephants died, the highest annual toll in recent memory.

Ali Akbar, a 36-year-old welder from Karnaphuli upazila, was killed when an elephant entered his village at night. His tragic story mirrors that of many rural families across Chattogram and Mymensingh, highlighting the human cost of habitat loss.

The interplay of human and elephant fatalities creates a vicious cycle. Communities facing repeated losses often grow hostile toward elephants, leading to more killings, which in turn disrupt ecosystems where elephants play a keystone role.

Root Causes: Human Actions Drive the Crisis

Experts point to human activity as the primary driver of the crisis.

Deforestation, hill cutting, and agricultural expansion have stripped elephants of foraging grounds. Industrial zones, export processing areas (EPZs), and settlements obstruct migration and increase the risk of encounters. Desperate farmers often set up illegal electric fences, which have led to fatal electrocutions.

Policy gaps exacerbate the issue. Bangladesh has never launched a large-scale, long-term elephant conservation initiative. Existing laws, including the Wildlife Conservation Act (2012) and Forest Policy (1994), are outdated and poorly enforced. Without effective governance, enforcement, or monitoring, elephants remain vulnerable to a range of threats.

The Economic and Social Toll

Beyond fatalities, human-elephant conflict exacts a severe economic toll. Farmers often experience crop destruction and property damage, with compensation payments slow or insufficient. Between 2019 and 2025, the Forest Department disbursed only Tk 2.15 crore in compensation in Chattogram, covering a fraction of losses sustained by families.

The psychological burden is equally significant. Families live under constant stress, fearing for their lives and livelihoods. Local authorities struggle to maintain a balance between protecting human communities and conserving wildlife.

Bangladesh in the Global Context

While African elephants often dominate global conservation narratives due to ivory poaching, the Asian elephant is equally imperiled. With fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants worldwide, Bangladesh’s population, though small, represents a vital genetic reservoir and the westernmost edge of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot.

Bangladesh’s elephants also highlight the importance of transboundary corridors. These migratory routes are critical for gene flow between India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Local strategies, such as community-based response teams and proposed solar fencing, could serve as models for wildlife management across Asia.

Saving Bangladesh’s elephants is not only a national priority but a global test for conservation, experts said, emphasizing the international significance of local efforts.

Conservation Efforts: Glimmers of Hope

Despite grim statistics, some initiatives show promise. In the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) in Anowara, Chattogram, human-elephant conflicts have decreased. Community involvement, eco-friendly green zones, and the deployment of Elephant Response Teams (ERTs) have created rare coexistence models. Elephants graze within industrial estates without posing the same risks seen elsewhere, demonstrating that management is possible.

The Forest Department has proposed a Tk41 crore Elephant Conservation Project, Bangladesh’s first government-funded elephant initiative. Planned measures include conducting a census in 2026, forming and funding ERTs, installing solar fencing to prevent human-elephant conflict, and providing compensation to farmers.

Challenges Ahead: Bureaucracy, Budget, and Resistance

Implementation remains uncertain. Chronic budget shortages, bureaucratic delays, and resistance from industries operating in elephant corridors threaten progress. The Elephant Conservation Action Plan (2018–2027) is nearing completion with minimal large-scale impact. Without decisive action, localized successes risk remaining isolated anecdotes.

Expert Recommendations: Immediate and Long-Term Strategies

An expert committee formed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2024 recommended a comprehensive approach:

Short-term: Restrict public disturbance of elephants, map movement patterns, install early warning systems, and halt hill cutting.

Mid-term: Conduct surveys of fodder availability, establish fodder plantations, and deploy GPS collars to track elephants.

Long-term: Connect EPZs with wildlife sanctuaries through corridors, study translocation feasibility, and build protective fencing around vulnerable communities.

Experts stress that prevention is critical: conserving habitats in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar can reduce conflict, saving human and elephant lives.

The Role of Local Authorities

Bangladesh’s success depends heavily on local authorities. The authorities emphasize on the importance of coordination between police, forest officials, and community leaders to mitigate conflict.

They have started monitoring corridors, regulating industrial expansion, and engaging with villagers to foster coexistence.

With proper enforcement and community involvement, local authorities can turn Bangladesh into a model for conflict mitigation, demonstrating that human development and wildlife conservation are not mutually exclusive.

A Global Call to Action

Bangladesh’s elephants are more than a national treasure; they are a litmus test for global conservation. If a densely populated, resource-constrained country like Bangladesh can implement effective, innovative wildlife management, it will provide a blueprint for other nations facing similar challenges.

Regional cooperation with India and Myanmar is vital for protecting migratory corridors. Updating wildlife policies, enhancing ecotourism opportunities, and engaging communities can create incentives for coexistence. Failure to act now risks Bangladesh losing its wild elephants within a decade, a setback for humanity, biodiversity, and the cultural heritage of South Asia.

The survival of the Asian elephant in Bangladesh is urgent. Each death, each destroyed corridor, and each human-elephant conflict represents a tipping point. Bold action, community engagement, and international support are essential to secure a future where Bangladesh’s gentle giants can roam freely once more.

Bangladesh stands at a crossroads: the next decade will determine whether its forests echo with elephant calls or fall silent forever.