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The joint forces have launched raids in Chattogram’s Jungle Salimpur to detain criminals.
Chattogram Additional Superintendent of Police Russell said the operation began on Monday morning.
On January 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 the 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 assault on the force following announcements over a loudspeaker.
While attending 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.”
Although Jungle Salimpur falls under Sitakunda Upazila administratively, the area is accessed through Banglabazar under Bayezid Thana in Chattogram. Jungle Salimpur lies on the right side of the road to Bhatiari via the 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 the time, the administration and law enforcement agencies faced repeated obstacles during the eviction drive. The district administration had set up a “hill management camp and check post” there during the effort.
After the political changeover on August 5, 2024, activity by “local criminals” increased again. Several clashes and killings were reported.
On October 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, and several others were injured.
Journalists went to the scene to cover the incident, but two of them were attacked by locals.
Then, on January 19, RAB member Motaleb was killed during the raid.