FROM PAGE 5

of corridors, and electrocution.”

This correspondent took a trip to the forest of Chakaria’s Punnogram, Lohagara upazila’s Borohatiya and Jongol Sharaf Bhata in December last year to see the situation first-hand.

Power lines were seen aplenty in Punnogram forest, with one found running behind the Punnogram forest beat office. Inside the forest, there were thousands of acres of paddy field.

A dozen of illegal brick kilns are also operating within the periphery of the reserve forest.

The power lines come as a boon for grabbers, as they easily set up electric fences using galvanised wire to kill elephants.

Meanwhile, various fish farms and betel leaf gardens dominate Teknaf and Ukhiya forest, where a significant number of elephants live.

In Boalkhali and Rangunia under Chattogram Forest Division (south), lemon garden and brick kilns were established throughout the elephant habitat.

Involvement of politically connected people were found behind all the encroachments.

Contacted, Molla Rezaul Karim, conservator of forest (wildlife and nature conservation), said they were seeking a gazette to secure 12 elephant corridors, proposing a project to conserve the flagship species.

“We also proposed to the relevant authorities the idea of forming a divisional elephant conservation committee and wrote a letter to the power division to eliminate power lines through the forest,” he added.