Mother and Child Killed in Elephant Attack

Two people—a mother and her young daughter—have died following a wild elephant attack in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar.

The incident occurred at around 5:00am on Thursday (30 April) in the Syed Colony area of West Khuniapalong in Khuniapalong Union.

The deceased have been identified as Semon Ara (25) and her three-year-old daughter Asma Bibi. They were the wife and daughter of Md. Ekram Mia.

According to local sources, a herd of three wild elephants suddenly entered the residential area in the early hours. The elephants reportedly broke boundary walls of several houses in the colony and uprooted nearby trees, causing immediate panic among residents.

Local resident Belal Uddin said that upon hearing the noise, Ekram Mia and his wife came out of their house with their two children. At that time, when the elephant herd moved towards them, Ekram Mia managed to escape with his six-year-old son Rehan Uddin, thereby surviving the attack. However, Semon Ara and her daughter Asma Bibi were caught in the elephant charge and died on the spot.

Zainal Abedin Babul, a member of the Khuniapalong Union Parishad, stated that the elephant herd was highly aggressive during the incident. He added that due to the sudden nature of the attack, the mother and child had no opportunity to escape. After the incident, the elephants reportedly consumed mangoes and jackfruits from nearby trees before moving towards a neighbouring hill.

He further noted that the deceased family were Rohingya nationals who had been residing on forest department land for a prolonged period.

Locals also reported that in recent times, wild elephant herds have been frequently moving through the Khuniapalong and South Mithachhari areas in search of food. This has created ongoing fear among residents and raised concerns over public safety in the region.

Ramu Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md. Farid confirmed that police visited the scene and completed the inquest report. The bodies were later handed over to the relatives. An unnatural death case is being processed in connection with the incident.

Incident Summary

The incident reflects continued human-wildlife conflict in parts of Cox’s Bazar, particularly in areas bordering forest land where wild elephant movement has been reported by residents.