Forest food gardens in the Garo Hills are being expanded to reduce human-elephant conflict. Conservationists say the effort must scale up with habitat restoration, corridor protection and transparent management.
Once blanketed in dense forests, large stretches of northern Bangladesh’s Garo Hills have gradually been converted into farmland, settlements and commercial plantations. This loss of habitat has forced both humans and elephants into an increasingly deadly struggle and the future of coexistence will depend on whether initiatives like food gardens are expanded, properly managed and implemented with transparency and long-term vision.
As pressures on land continue to grow, the future of both people and elephants in the Garo Hills depends on whether initiatives like food gardens and broader conservation measures are expanded, properly managed and implemented as part of a long-term, landscape-level strategy that ensures coexistence.
Experts and environmentalist groups emphasize the need for a comprehensive strategy that combines habitat restoration, corridor protection, replacement of harmful plantation species with native trees, community-based early warning systems and effective training to help people protect themselves and their crops without harming wildlife.
Every year, herds of wild elephants descend from the hills into nearby villages in search of food, triggering frequent and sometimes fatal encounters with local communities. Crops are destroyed, homes are damaged and lives are lost. The conflict has become a recurring humanitarian and conservation crisis in Sherpur and Jamalpur districts.
“The elephants come at night, and we can hear them breaking trees and eating crops,” said Shafiqul Islam, a farmer in Jhenaigati. “We try shouting, banging drums and lighting torches, but it often does not stop them. Last year we lost half our boro crop.”
The primary driver of this crisis is the steady loss of forest cover and natural food sources. As forest areas shrink, elephants are left with few options but to enter human settlements. Boro and aman paddy fields, vegetables, jackfruit, betel nut gardens and social forestry plantations have become easy targets. Villagers, attempting to protect their livelihoods with torches, noise and makeshift barriers, often find themselves in dangerous confrontations with desperate and hungry animals.
To address the crisis, the Forest Department has launched a food garden initiative aimed at restoring food availability within forest areas and reducing human-elephant conflict. The initiative focuses on planting elephant-friendly forest and fruit-bearing species on degraded hill forestland, allowing elephants to feed within their natural range rather than entering villages.
Over the 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years, approximately 260 hectares of forestland were brought under food gardens. Plantations were established in Dumurtala of Bakshiganj, Rajapahar in Sreebardi, Khristanpara, Malakucha, Tawakuche, Gazni, Rangtia, Batkuchi Beat and Panihata under Gopalpur Beat. Nearly 60 plant species suitable for wildlife consumption were planted, including banyan, pakur, olive, starfruit, cashew, almond, jackfruit, jujube, banana, bael, elephant apple, custard apple, bamboo and other native species.
“These food gardens are slowly bringing wildlife back to degraded areas,” said Suman Mia, Range Officer of Balijuri Forest Range. “They are not just for elephants but aim to restore habitats for all forest animals.”
Assistant Conservator of Forests Sadikul Islam Khan expressed optimism, saying, “Once fully implemented, these gardens will reduce the need for elephants to enter villages and help restore ecological balance.”
Despite these efforts, fear remains widespread among local communities. In recent days, a herd of elephants has been roaming the Chhoto Gazni area and nearby border roads of Kansa Union in Sherpur, damaging property and creating panic.
“When they come at night, we are terrified,” said Amina Begum, a resident of Chhoto Gazni. “We do not know if we will be able to protect our homes. Last year, two people were killed in our village. It could happen again.”
The trauma is still fresh from May 20 last year, when a herd of elephants entered Chhoto Gazni in search of food and killed two people by trampling them. The victims were Azizur Rahman Akash, 22, from Gandhigaon village and Efilis Marak, 35, from Boro Gazni. Witnesses said Efilis Marak was pinned by the elephants and crushed underfoot, leaving his body severely mutilated.
The situation is equally alarming in the India-bordering villages of Bakshiganj upazila in Jamalpur district. For years, herds of around 40 elephants have been entering villages almost every night, destroying crops, flattening gardens and disrupting daily life. Many farmers are leaving their land uncultivated out of fear, while some families have been forced to relocate.
Environmentalists and conservation groups argue that while food gardens are a positive step, they are far from sufficient. More than a hundred wild elephants roam the Garo Hills region and 260 hectares of plantations cannot meet their long-term dietary and habitat needs.
“Food gardens are welcome, but this is only a small part of the solution,” said Rabiul Islam Mondal, vice president of the Sherpur district unit of Save the Nature. “We need large-scale forest restoration, transparent management and stronger protection of elephant corridors.”
While Forest Department teams and Elephant Response Units continue to protect villages, conservationists warn that these measures are temporary. The root causes of the crisis remain deforestation, illegal occupation of forestland, loss of water sources and unplanned development in elephant movement corridors. Coordination between the Forest Department, local administration and the Indian government is also essential, as elephants in the Garo Hills regularly move across the Bangladesh–India border.
Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, emphasized the importance of a long-term, landscape-level approach. “This is not just about planting a few trees,” he said. “We need to restore large areas of forest, protect elephant corridors and involve local communities in decision-making. Only then can humans and elephants coexist safely.” He added, “Food gardens are a step in the right direction, but they must be scaled up and managed transparently if they are to make a real difference.”
