Elephant Attack Claims Farmer’s Life

A 21-year-old farmer, Pranta Rangsa, was killed following a wild elephant attack in Durgapur upazila of Netrokona on Tuesday night, according to police and local sources. The incident occurred around 1:00 am in the Bhabanipur border area.

The deceased, identified as Pranta Rangsa, was the son of Nipson Norke of the same village. He was engaged in agricultural work in the locality, which lies close to the India–Bangladesh border and is frequently affected by elephant movement from the adjoining hill forests.

Local residents and police reports indicate that a herd of wild elephants descended from the hills of the Indian border area on Wednesday afternoon. The elephants entered paddy fields and caused damage to ripened crops. In response, members of local indigenous communities attempted to drive the herd back. The elephants, numbering approximately 15 to 20, retreated to nearby elevated terrain and remained there for some time.

Later in the evening, the herd again moved down towards cultivated land. To protect crops from further damage, Pranta Rangsa and several other villagers kept watch using torches and burning sticks. Their efforts reportedly caused the elephants to withdraw temporarily.

However, at around 1:00 am, while Pranta and other farmers were returning home, the elephant herd allegedly charged again. During this sudden encounter, one elephant reportedly seized Pranta with its trunk, threw him to the ground, and trampled him. He died at the scene.

Durgapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khandaker Shaker Ahmed confirmed that police were dispatched to the location following the incident. He added that arrangements were being made to hand over the body to the family upon request.

Assistant Commissioner (Land), Md. Mizanur Rahman, who is currently performing duties of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, stated that financial assistance would be provided by the administration to support the family in performing the funeral rites.

Elephant-related casualties in the region

Wild elephant incursions in the Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas have been a recurring concern over recent years, particularly in areas bordering forested hill regions. Over the last three and a half years, such incidents have resulted in fatalities and injuries among local residents engaged in agricultural protection and daily activities.

These incidents reflect ongoing human–wildlife conflict in the region, particularly during harvesting seasons when elephants move into cultivated fields in search of food. Local communities often rely on traditional methods such as torchlight patrols and noise-making to deter elephant herds, especially during nighttime movements.