Sherpur Correspondent

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo stated on Saturday that cross-border dialogue with India will commence shortly, following existing protocols, to re-establish migration corridors for wild elephants roaming the Garo Hills in Sherpur.

He made the comments as the chief guest at a views-exchange meeting on human-elephant conflict mitigation and elephant conservation held at the Jhenaigati Upazila Parishad auditorium.

Minister Mintoo explained that over a hundred wild elephants originating from Meghalaya have become trapped in the Garo Hills region of Sherpur due to border fencing, preventing their return. He assured that Indian authorities will be formally requested to open border gates along the traditional pathways, while parallel initiatives will be taken to turn Sherpur’s forestlands into a safe sanctuary for the elephants.

Mymensingh Divisional Forest Officer Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim delivered the welcome address, revealing that between 130 and 140 wild elephants currently reside in Sherpur’s forest zones. To monitor elephant movements and mitigate conflicts, authorities have formed 53 Elephant Response Teams (ERTs) comprising 10 members each and installed 45 AI-powered cameras across key points.

Presided over by Sherpur Deputy Commissioner Farida Yasmin, the meeting was addressed by Member of Parliament for Sherpur-3 Mahmudul Haq Rubel and Chief Conservator of Forests Md. Amir Hossein Chowdhury. Materials and support equipment were also distributed among ERT members affected by elephant encounters during the event.