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Published : 09 Mar 2026, 02:20 PM
More than 3,000 members of law enforcing agencies are conducting raids in several parts of Jungle Salimpur in Chattogram’s Sitakunda to catch criminals.
The criminals have destroyed a culvert over a canal a short distance from Jungle Salimpur in a bid to foil the raids.
During the operation, Chattogram Range Additional DIG Nazmul Hasan told reporters around noon on Monday that the Army and BGB, along with the police and RAB, are jointly conducting the operation through an “action plan”.
Additional DIG Hasan shared that some people had already been arrested in the operation.
"As Jungle Salimpur is a large area, operations are being conducted in different parts. Once the entire operation is completed, it will be clear what has been recovered."
Journalists were not allowed to enter the area during the operation. Armoured vehicles of the law enforcing agencies have also been kept in the Bayezid Link Road.
To create obstacles for the law enforcing agencies’ operation, a large truck had been parked at the entry point of Ali Nagar after Chhinnamul area, said Additional DIG Nazmul Hasan.
"A short distance away, a culvert over the canal has been demolished, so that no law enforcing agency vehicle can enter. The canal was filled with bricks, sand, cement and then the vehicles entered."
On Jan 19, Nayek Subedar Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan, a member of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), was killed in an attack by “local criminals” in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur.
At that time, RAB-7 said the raid was conducted to arrest “armed criminals”.
RAB members came under sudden attack during the raid. An estimated 400 to 500 criminals launched the surprise attack following announcements over a loudspeaker.
As he attended the funeral of the deceased RAB member, RAB Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman announced joint operations to clear Jungle Salimpur of “criminals and illegal occupation.”
ONCE RISKY HABITAT, NOW ‘IMPENETRABLE EMPIRE’
Although Jungle Salimpur falls under Sitakunda Upazila administratively, the area has to be entered through Banglabazar under Bayezid Thana in Chattogram. Jungle Salimpur is on the right on the way to Bhatiari via Bayezid Link Road.
Spread across 3,100 acres of Khas land, the area is a risky settlement built on a hillock and has been described as an “impenetrable empire”.
In 2022, the government planned to free the Khas land and build various facilities, including the Chattogram Central Jail, Sports Village, Cricket Stadium, Iconic Mosque, and Eco Park. At that time, the administration and law enforcing agencies confronted repeated obstacles in the eviction drive. The district administration had set up a “hill management camp and check post” there during the ongoing efforts.
After the political changeover on Aug 5, 2024, activity by “local criminals” increased once again. There were several clashes and killings.
On Oct 4, 2025, a clash broke out between the Yasin and Rokon-Ghafur groups in the Alinagar area of Jungle Salimpur. At that time, a member of the Rokon group was shot and killed. Several others were injured.
Journalists went to the scene to cover the incident, but two of them were attacked by the locals.
Then on Jan 19, RAB member Motaleb was killed during the raid.
