The growing number of elephants in Sherpur’s Garo Hills should be welcomed as a sign that the species still has the capacity to survive and reproduce in Bangladesh. But the accompanying rise in human-elephant conflict is a stark warning that conservation cannot succeed unless the shrinking habitat of these majestic animals is protected and restored.
According to Forest Department estimates, the elephant population in the Garo Hills has risen from around 100-120 to 180-200, with at least 55 calves reportedly born in the area over the past three years. This is encouraging at a time when Asian elephants remain severely threatened in Bangladesh. Yet the increase in elephant numbers is occurring as forests are being cleared, land is being encroached upon, elephant corridors are being disrupted and natural sources of food and water are disappearing.
The consequences are increasingly tragic. Between 2010 and 2026, 47 people reportedly died in human-elephant conflicts in Sherpur’s three hill upazilas. During the same period, 35 elephants also died, many from gunshots, sharp weapons and electric traps. These figures demonstrate that neither humans nor elephants are winning this battle.
The fundamental problem is habitat loss. A fully grown elephant requires enormous quantities of food and water every day. When forests cannot provide these necessities, elephants inevitably move into farmland and settlements. Their entry into villages then threatens crops, homes and livelihoods, prompting frightened residents to retaliate.
It is therefore wrong to view the problem simply as one of dangerous elephants invading human settlements. Humans have increasingly invaded and fragmented the elephants’ natural territory. The solution must address this imbalance.
The government should urgently consider declaring the GaroHills a dedicated elephant sanctuary and ensuring effective protection of elephant habitats and traditional corridors. Forestland illegally occupied or converted for other purposes must be recovered. At the same time, degraded forests should be restored with plants that provide adequate food for elephants. The proposed artificial water bodies could also help prevent elephants from leaving forests in search of water, particularly during dry periods.
Local communities must be at the centre of this conservation effort. People living beside elephant habitats cannot be expected to tolerate repeated crop damage and threats to their lives without support. Compensation for losses should be prompt and adequate, while early-warning systems, Elephant Response Teams, solar fencing and other non-lethal measures should be expanded.
Agricultural practices can also be adapted. In areas repeatedly visited by elephants, farmers could be encouraged to cultivate crops that elephants tend to avoid instead of those that attract them.
Equally important is responsible behaviour by visitors and content creators. Entering elephant habitats, provoking animals or getting dangerously close merely to capture videos is unacceptable. Such behaviour can put both people and elephants at risk.
Elephants are not merely a wildlife asset; they are an integral part of the Garo Hills ecosystem. Protecting them means protecting forests, biodiversity and ultimately the communities that depend on those ecosystems.
The objective must not be to drive elephants away or restrict local people. It must be to create conditions where both can coexist safely. Humans and elephants both have a right to survive. The time has come to make coexistence, habitat restoration and community protection the centrepieces of our elephant conservation policy.
