The recent washing ashore of a 30-to-40-foot-long dead Baleen Whale on the banks of the Andharmanik River in Taltali, Barguna, juxtaposed with the relentless fatalities of wild elephants in the hills of Cox’s Bazar, serves as a grim indictment of our rapidly degrading ecosystems. Statistics from the Forest Department and conservationists paint a harrowing picture of anthropogenic pressure on wildlife. According to a 2016 IUCN survey, Bangladesh harbored a mere 268 resident Asian elephants. Yet, official data reveals that between 2017 and May 2026, at least 151 elephants perished nationwide due to escalating human-elephant conflicts and habitat fragmentation—many brutally executed via electrocution, poisoning, or gunshots. Concurrently, marine giants like whales and dolphins are increasingly perishing in the Bay of Bengal, victims of rampant plastic pollution, toxic industrial dumping, and fatal collisions with high-speed commercial vessels navigating poorly regulated shipping lanes.
To mitigate this severe ecological crisis, state authorities must transition from reactive posturing to proactive enforcement. The government must urgently identify and remove illegal settlements, agricultural encroachments and unauthorized infrastructure obstructing elephant corridors, while restoring the remaining routes for safe wildlife movement. Furthermore, the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012 must be enforced with ironclad resolve to end the culture of impunity enjoyed by those who slaughter endangered fauna. On the maritime front, the Coast Guard and the Navy must intensify surveillance to eliminate the use of destructive fishing gear and strictly monitor vessel speed limits in ecologically sensitive marine zones. Crucially, the government must adopt a zero-tolerance policy against the systemic dumping of single-use plastics and industrial effluent into coastal tributaries and tourist hotspots.
Simultaneously, civil society and ordinary citizens must internalize their civic obligations toward environmental stewardship. Tourists and coastal communities must halt the unconscionable disposal of plastic waste into water bodies, knowing well that ingested debris causes agonizing, fatal blockages in marine life. When elephants stray into human settlements—driven by the sheer desperation of habitat loss—local populations must exercise restraint and immediately alert the Forest Department rather than resorting to lethal traps. Communities must also erect strong social barriers against illicit wildlife trafficking rings and actively cooperate with law enforcement to flush out poachers.
Ultimately, we must recognize that this planet is not the exclusive domain of humanity; it belongs equally to the wild and marine creatures that sustain it. Every element of nature is intrinsically bound to another. If even a single species is pushed to extinction, the entire ecological web destabilizes, inevitably threatening the very foundations of human civilization. Humanity cannot survive in biological isolation. Preserving the rights of every living creature is not an act of charity, but a matter of existential self-preservation—because ecosystem balance remains the ultimate core of our existence.
By Salam Abu
Editor
