Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has said that the government will implement long-term initiatives for elephant conservation, which include short-term measures like improving natural habitats, ensuring safe breeding and food security, estimating elephant populations, and using modern technology to address human-elephant conflicts.
During a meeting on the elephant conservation project held at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday, Rizwana emphasized the need to strengthen awareness-raising activities for elephant conservation.
These initiatives will be executed in various districts across Chittagong, Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rangpur divisions, where elephants are known to reside.
In her address as the chief guest, Rizwana highlighted the government’s commitment to maintaining environmental balance alongside elephant conservation.
She outlined a special program led by the Forest Department that includes the establishment of gardens with elephant-friendly plants, the excavation of water bodies, and the construction of solar-powered fences in vulnerable areas.
Additionally, plans are underway to build bio-fencing to mitigate human-elephant conflicts, form an Elephant Response Team, and create observation towers for monitoring elephant activity, she added.
Rizwana underscored the importance of elephant conservation for preserving the country’s biodiversity, saying: "If these activities are successfully implemented, it will ensure the safety of people's lives and property while safeguarding the existence of elephants."
