Elephant collecting donations overturns vehicle, killing 10-month-old baby

Police detained the elephant’s mahout after the fatal incident in Faridpur, where an elephant collecting roadside donations overturned a battery-powered three-wheeler carrying a mother and her infant to hospital.

A 10-month-old baby was killed and several other passengers were injured after an elephant collecting donations on a road struck a battery-powered three-wheeler in Bangladesh’s Faridpur district, police and local residents said.

The child, Arisha Jannat, was from Gulbandi village in Algi Union of neighbouring Bhanga upazila. The incident occurred on Tuesday (July 28) in the Atrashi area of Sadarpur upazila in Faridpur district.

According to police, local residents and the victim’s family, the baby’s mother was travelling by battery-powered three-wheeler to Sadarpur Hospital to seek medical treatment for her child. As the vehicle reached the Atrashi area, an elephant approaching from the opposite direction was collecting money from passing vehicles.

The elephant raised its trunk in front of the three-wheeler and collided with it, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn. The baby, who was in her mother’s arms, was thrown from the vehicle and trapped underneath it, sustaining serious injuries.

Local people rescued the child and took her to Bishwo Zaker Manjil General Hospital. She died while being transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, according to the report.

Following the incident, angry residents assaulted the elephant’s mahout, Bakul Mia, 24, and restrained the elephant. Police from Sadarpur Police Station later arrived at the scene, took the mahout into custody and brought him to the police station. Bakul Mia is a resident of Madarer Char village under Dewanganj Police Station in Jamalpur district.

Confirming the incident, Sadarpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdul Al Mamun Shah said the mahout had been detained, but the victim’s family had not yet filed a written complaint. He also said that efforts were under way to bring the elephant to the police station.

This post is republished from Dhaka Tribune.