The minister made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting organized at the Forest Department's conference room in Agargaon, Dhaka, today to mark World Elephant Day 2026. This year's international theme is "Bringing the world together to help elephants," with the Bengali rendition being "বিশ্বজুড়ে ঐক্য গড়ি, হাতির জীবন রক্ষা করি" (Building unity worldwide to protect elephant lives). The main objective of the day is to raise public awareness about elephant and habitat conservation and ensure a safe future for elephants.
The minister noted that while elephants were once abundant in the country, their numbers are now declining. Habitat encroachment and destruction, deforestation, illegal poaching, and wildlife crimes have become major threats to their existence. According to a 2015 survey, there are 268 resident wild elephants, 93 migratory wild elephants, and 96 captive elephants in the country. A new elephant survey is planned to be conducted by 2027.
Highlighting various government initiatives for elephant conservation, the minister informed that the Bangladesh Elephant Conservation Action Plan (2018–2027) has been formulated, identifying 40 priority actions. These activities are being implemented through various projects.
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Referring to compensation for victims of human-elephant conflict, the minister said that under the 'Wildlife Attack Compensation Rules, 2021,' the family of a deceased person receives Tk 3 lakh, an injured person receives up to Tk 1 lakh, and compensation of up to Tk 50,000 is provided for livestock losses. From 2012 to June 2026, a total of approximately Tk 13.77 crore has been distributed as compensation to the families of 322 deceased, 169 injured individuals, and 3,215 families affected by damage to houses and crops. He directed the Forest Department to disburse compensation to affected people as quickly as possible.
The minister also mentioned that local communities are being engaged to address human-elephant conflict. So far, 159 Elephant Response Teams (ERTs) have been formed in elephant-inhabited areas. These teams play a vital role in providing early warnings about elephant arrivals, monitoring elephant movements, and safely reducing conflicts between humans and elephants. He stressed that local community participation is the greatest strength in elephant conservation, and without it, conservation efforts can never be sustainable.
Special guest Mahmudul Haque Rubel, MP from Sherpur-3 constituency, shared various data on elephant attacks and compensation in his parliamentary constituency.
Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (Environment, Forest and Climate Change), said that elephants play a crucial role in protecting both life and nature. He called upon everyone to come forward for elephant protection and reminded that biodiversity must be preserved to ensure human survival.
Dr. Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, noted that elephants are endangered not only in Bangladesh but across the world. The benefits of elephant conservation are not commonly understood, making it difficult to get new projects approved. She called upon various domestic and international organizations to work jointly with the government alongside public funding.
The event was presided over by Chief Forest Conservator Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury. Dr. Md. Abdul Motaleb, Acting Executive Director of Arannayk Foundation, presented various data and information on elephants.
Representatives of organizations working on elephants, officials from the ministry and Forest Department, and journalists from electronic, print, and online media were present at the event.