Police and officials said villagers in the Nalitabari area of the district set electric traps to save their cropland in a desperate attempt to protect their Aman crop and vegetables, already damaged by this year's devastating floods.

Villagers said one male elephant, which had strayed away from a herd of about 20-25, came in contact with the live electric wire Monday night. The next night, a female elephant was electrocuted in the same way at another field, 200 yards away from the previous scene.

The elephants, believed to be a couple, were buried near the village after conducting autopsy and their tusks, weighing about 15 to 17 Kg, were sent to the local Forest Department office for preservation.

Deputy Commissioner Mohsena Ferdousi and Divisional Forest Officer Mia Abdul Latif visited the scene.

Local UP Chairman Yunus Ali Dewan said incidents of wild elephants foraging the rice-paddies in Nalitabari area have increased in last two years. The predators also killed seven people injuring over 50 others, and damaged houses, trees and crops worth about Tk 2 crores during last few years in the frontier district, sources said.

Environment NGOs including Social Development Organisation (SDO) and Sherpur-Plus Organisation (SPO) in separate statements protested killing of wild elephants by electrocuting.

International Nature Conservation Union (IUCN) country representative in Bangladesh Prof Ainun Nishat said the elephants were virtually trapped in Bangladesh due to unplanned interventions by the Indian authorities in the frontier areas erasing their movement tracks.

The Wildlife Society of Bangladesh demanded arrangement of corridors in the frontier for safe return of the "unwanted" elephants to their original habitat.

The organisations asked the government to take measures for declaring the Garo Hills a safe haven for wild animals. (BSS/UNB)