Massive Jungle Salimpur raid ends in capture of 12
Two temporary camps have been set up in the area, where nearly a hundred law enforcement personnel will remain on duty
A joint force of more than 3,000 personnel, including police, RAB, BGB, and the army, carried out a ten-hour operation from early this morning (9 March) in Jungle Salimpur and the surrounding areas of Sitakunda, Chattogram, targeting criminal hideouts and illegal weapons.
Initially, the police reported that 20 individuals were arrested. Later, a press release confirmed 12 arrests and announced the establishment of two temporary camps, where nearly a hundred law enforcement personnel would remain on duty.
Locals said top criminals had received information of the raid and fled, leaving the joint forces "virtually empty-handed."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Hunting the hidden down
Drones were used to locate hideouts, and suspects were interrogated and searched during the operation. According to police sources, a total of 3,183 personnel participated, including members of the Bangladesh Army, district and metropolitan police, RRF Chattogram, APBN, BGB, and RAB, with seven executive magistrates overseeing the operation.
Three helicopters, fifteen armoured personnel carriers, three dog squads, and twelve drones were deployed, while modern technology and specialised tactics were employed to navigate the difficult hilly terrain.
The teams encountered obstacles at the outset, including a truck deliberately placed across a road and a demolished culvert, which were cleared and temporarily repaired to allow forces to advance toward Alinagar.
The operation was led by Chattogram Range DIG Ahsan Habib Palash, with Additional DIG Nazimul Haq and Chattogram District SP Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan present. During the raid, authorities recovered two firearms, including a pistol and an LG, four cartridges, eleven explosive cocktails, seventeen locally made weapons, nineteen CCTV cameras, two DVRs, one power box, and two binoculars.
Forces were divided into teams, with some searching lower settlements while others advanced along hill paths, and checkpoints were established along potential escape routes. The Bayezid-Faujdarhat Link Road was closed, with four army APCs stationed nearby, and police, RAB, and intelligence personnel secured the main entry points to the slum.
RAB-7 commander Lt Col Hafizur Rahman noted that while past small-scale raids had triggered attacks by criminals, the presence of a large, coordinated force this time prevented any such assault.
The operation, ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, involved sealing all entry and exit points and dividing personnel to comb every open and hidden corner of the slum and surrounding hills, with support from dog squads, helicopters, and drones to recover concealed weapons. Officials emphasised that the forces proceeded cautiously, aware of the area's history of attacks on officials, journalists, and environmental workers during previous operations.
Decades of lawlessness in Jungle Salimpur
Jungle Salimpur, situated on the outskirts of Chattogram city in Sitakunda, spans nearly 3,100 acres of government-owned hills and forest land, much of which has been illegally occupied.
Over the years, the area has evolved into a stronghold for criminal activity, encompassing illegal land sales, hill-cutting, soil trade, extortion, unregulated electricity and water connections, and the trafficking of arms and drugs. The disorder in Jungle Salimpur traces back to the 1990s, when Ali Akkas began clearing hills to establish settlements and organised armed groups to protect his territory.
Following disputes over power and money, Akkas was killed in a gunfight with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and his associates – Kazi Moshiur Rahman, Yasin Mia, Gafur Member, and Gazi Sadek – divided into separate factions that now control the area. While these groups claim around 30,000 members, the total population of Jungle Salimpur is estimated at 150,000.
The area has long been a hotspot for violence, repeatedly targeting officials, journalists, and environmental workers. On 19 January, a RAB-7 team conducting an arms recovery operation was ambushed, resulting in the death of Deputy Assistant Director Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan and the abduction and assault of three others, who were later rescued in a joint operation.
Mohammad Yasin, one of the key accused, subsequently issued a video warning of a "major public explosion" should authorities attempt to intervene further in the area.
Jungle Salimpur effectively functions as a "state within a state," where armed gangs led by Yasin, Rokon Member, and Ridwan exercise autonomous control. Each faction maintains fortified hideouts, extensive weapons stockpiles, and armed guards stationed at every entry point, while CCTV cameras blanket the entire hilly terrain, allowing criminals to detect law enforcement presence from a distance. The geography, combined with limited coordination between city and local police, makes any operation particularly difficult, enabling criminals to move swiftly and escape along hill paths within 10–20 minutes.
