A joint forces operation is underway in Jungle Salimpur of Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong to dismantle criminal hideouts.
The operation, conducted under the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs, involves several thousand members from the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the army. The drive began around 4:00am on Monday (March 9).
Additional Superintendent of Police (DB and Industrial Area) of Chittagong District Police Md Russell said the operation is ongoing.
“A joint forces’ operation is underway in Jungle Salimpur. Around 4,000 members of the joint forces are taking part in the operation. Detailed information will be provided later,” he said.
He added that law enforcement agencies cordoned off the entire Jungle Salimpur area early in the morning. Check posts were set up at all entry and exit points to prevent anyone from fleeing after the operation began.
Earlier, on January 19, members of RAB came under attack by armed terrorists while conducting an operation in the same area. During the attack, the assailants vandalized a RAB vehicle, opened fire, and snatched weapons.
In the incident, RAB-7 Deputy Assistant Director Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan was killed, while three other members were seriously injured.
Following the incident, RAB filed a case with Sitakunda Police Station, naming Mohammad Yasin as the prime accused. The case mentions 29 accused by name, including Yasin and Nurul Haque Bhandari, and lists another 200 as unidentified suspects.
According to the case statement, when RAB members went to arrest the accused, they were attacked with locally-made weapons on the orders of Mohammad Yasin. The attackers also snatched away one detained suspect.
The accused later abducted four RAB members, who were subsequently rescued by the army and police.
As of the latest reports, members of the joint forces have divided into several groups and begun search operations inside Jungle Salimpur. The large deployment of security personnel has created a tense situation across the area.
Jungle Salimpur spans about 3,100 acres of hilly terrain. Due to its difficult geographical location, the area has gained notoriety among criminals as a “safe haven.”
Currently, at least 150,000 people live in around 20,000 to 25,000 houses in the area, most of whom have settled there after coming from different parts of the country.
Hill cutting and plot trading are still ongoing in Jungle Salimpur. To maintain control over this business and the area, armed groups have been formed, and members of these groups remain on constant armed guard.