At least 5000 people have become homeless. Villagers in Barunachhari and adjoining areas now pass sleepless nights, beating drums and making big fires at night to keep marauding elephants away.

A team of newsmen during a recent visit to the remote area saw damaged houses, crop fields and gardens of banana, mango, jack fruit, coconut and other fruits.

The villagers said elephants come to human habitations just before the evening, search for food throughout the night and leave before dawn.

Md. Alam Farazi, a member of Village Defense Party in Barunachhari village said he used to earn about Tk 30,000 from banana and Tk 20,000 from amloki (a kind of medicinal fruit). Elephants completely destroyed his plantations on about five acres.

Primary school teacher Hiran Kumar Adhikari said he built a tin-shed house at a cost of Tk 25,000 this year. "Elephants leveled my house, which I will not be able to rebuild", he lamented.

Octogenarian Gani Hawlader and his family is now under the open sky as elephants destroyed his house.

When contacted, Asit Ranjan Pal, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Rangamati South Circle, said he can not blame elephants for attacking human habitations because men are depleting forests and their sources of food and shelter.

"I have no power to kill elephants. I have nothing to do except advising villagers to beat drums and make fire at night. It is my duty to protect wildlife".

Earlier, people of Barunachhari village submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to protect them, their habitations and crops from wild elephants.

Contacted over cell phone, Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Gazi Md Julhas said, "We have nothing to do. Wild elephants attack human habitations in other areas also in Rangamati. I think the forest department can take steps in this regard".