Bandarban, Aug 11 (V7N) – A wild elephant sustained a severe injury when it stepped on a landmine, reportedly planted by the armed rebel group Arakan Army along the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban. The explosion destroyed a portion of the animal's right ankle, leaving it immobilized in a remote hilly area known as Oittailya Jhiri, near Cherarmath in Naikhongchhari upazila.
 
The incident was confirmed around 3:00 PM on Monday by Naikhongchhari Forest Range Officer Md. Mozammel Haque Sarkar. According to him, he rushed to the scene upon receiving the report and found the elephant unable to move, its right leg visibly mutilated from the blast.
 
Authorities suspect the landmine was placed on the Myanmar side of the border, and the animal may have triggered it while returning to Bangladesh from across the border in search of food. “The elephant's injury is consistent with an anti-personnel mine blast. It likely occurred just as the animal was re-entering Bangladesh,” said Sarkar.
 
Local residents of Cherarmath also weighed in. Abdus Salam, a long-time inhabitant of the area, stated that cross-border movement of elephants is common. “Wild elephants often travel to Myanmar in search of food and return by dusk. It’s possible this one was injured while returning home,” he said. “Now it's too weak to move and is lying helplessly. Thankfully, it hasn’t shown aggression toward humans.”
 
Naikhongchhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Muhammad Mazharul Islam Chowdhury, said the local administration has already informed the Forest Department and is awaiting directives from higher authorities regarding rescue or treatment efforts.
 
The incident underscores the growing threat posed by landmines near border areas, not just to human populations but also to endangered wildlife. The presence of landmines is a violation of international humanitarian norms, especially when they result in harm to non-combatant species such as wild elephants, which are protected under international conservation laws.
 
Forest and wildlife officials are reportedly assessing whether a rescue or medical intervention is feasible given the challenging terrain and the severity of the animal's condition.
 
END/SIU/SMA/