Jongol Salimpur, a vast hill-forest settlement in Salimpur union of Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila, has increasingly emerged as one of the most dangerous and least governable zones on the outskirts of the city, drawing grave warnings from senior law-enforcement officials and exposing a deepening security vacuum.
The scale of the threat was underscored on Monday afternoon, when Abdul Motaleb, a member of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), was shot dead by suspected terrorists in the area. Two other RAB personnel were seriously injured and are currently receiving treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). The attack has once again highlighted the extreme risks faced by security forces operating in Jongol Salimpur.
Stretching across an estimated eight to ten square kilometres of rugged hills and dense forest, Jongol Salimpur lies north of the Dhaka–Chattogram highway and just west of the Bayezid Bostami area.
Although it falls outside the jurisdiction of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), its proximity to the port city has turned it into a launchpad for criminal activity targeting urban areas.
According to local administration and law-enforcement estimates, 50,000 to 70,000 people now live in the settlement, most in illegally built houses scattered across steep slopes, forest clearings, and narrow hill paths. The area has expanded rapidly over the past decade, largely beyond the reach of planning authorities and sustained governance.
Once the gang infiltrates the area and consolidates control, it effectively assumes total authority over the settlement, dictating security arrangements, utility distribution, market operations, and even the functioning of schools.
‘Too dangerous for routine policing’
CMP Commissioner Hasib Aziz has publicly described Jongol Salimpur as too dangerous for conventional law-enforcement operations, offering one of the starkest official assessments to date.
He said, “The area is extremely risky. It is not safe for law enforcers to enter Jongol Salimpur with small teams. To conduct any effective operation, no fewer than 500 personnel would be required.”
His comments underscored how criminal dominance, hostile terrain, and dense population have effectively turned the settlement into a de facto no-go zone, beyond the reach of routine policing.
Although CMP does not have formal authority over the area, law-enforcement officials say many criminals have taken shelter in Jongol Salimpur, using it as a base to commit crimes in the city before retreating beyond metropolitan control.
Criminal enclave shaped by geography
Security officials say Jongol Salimpur’s geography has enabled criminal entrenchment. The settlement spans long hill ridges and deep forested pockets, connected by unmapped footpaths and narrow trails, making surveillance, patrols, and rapid response extremely difficult.
Years of illegal hill-cutting, land grabbing, and unregulated construction have allowed multiple armed groups to establish strongholds. These groups are reportedly involved in extortion, territorial control, violent clashes, and illegal arms activities. Recent gang conflicts have resulted in deaths and serious injuries, while raids have uncovered firearms and weapons-making equipment.
Hostile territory for police and press
Operations inside Jongol Salimpur frequently face organised resistance, including stone-throwing and armed threats. Journalists covering incidents in the area have also been attacked, raising serious concerns about press freedom and safety.
On 5 October 2025, Hossain Ahmed Ziad, a journalist of Ekhon Television, was seriously injured in an attack by a criminal gang known as the “Rokon Bahini”. At the time, Chattogram Superintendent of Police Saiful Islam Shanto said it would be impossible to apprehend criminals in the area without helicopters and a commando-style operation.
A growing security threat
Despite its reputation, Jongol Salimpur is also a densely populated human settlement, where thousands of families live without legal land ownership, paved roads, sanitation, healthcare, or emergency services. During monsoon season, landslides and slopes collapse further endanger lives.
Security planners warn that the area is no longer an isolated problem. Given its size, population, and proximity to Chattogram city, it has become a serious and expanding threat to regional security.
Without a large-scale, coordinated operation, followed by sustained governance and rehabilitation, observers fear the area will continue to function as a criminal sanctuary beyond effective state control, a stark symbol of how unplanned urban expansion, administrative neglect, and entrenched criminal networks can overwhelm law enforcement and endanger both residents and the city beyond its hills.
