Despite being known for years as a safe haven for terrorists and hardened criminals, the administration admits it still lacks clear information about how many criminals operate inside Jungle Salimpur – or how many weapons they may have in their possession.
This intelligence vacuum was perhaps the primary contributing factor that led to an attack on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers, leading to the brutal killing of one, while four of his colleagues were left seriously injured.
On Monday, during an operation in Jungle Salimpur, a sprawling hill-forest settlement on the outskirts of Chattogram, RAB’s Deputy Assistant Director Motaleb Hossain was beaten to death.
Yet, no visible law enforcement operation was carried out there the following day, raising serious questions about the state’s response to one of the gravest attacks on elite forces in recent years.
Chattogram Superintendent of Police Nazir Ahmed Khan told TIMES of Bangladesh that efforts are currently underway to gather intelligence on the miscreants and that a major operation could be launched at any moment, adding that the criminals involved in the killing are being identified and that measures have been taken to prevent their escape.
However, when asked how many criminals might be operating inside the forest or how many firearms and other types of weapons they might possess, the superintendent was unable to specify, underscoring a critical intelligence gap in an area long known as a militant stronghold.
The funeral prayers of the RAB officer were held on Tuesday at the RAB-7 office in Patenga, attended by fellow officers and officials. His body was later taken to his village home in Cumilla, where he was laid to rest.
Speaking to reporters after the funeral on Tuesday, RAB Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman vowed exemplary punishment for those responsible.
“Legal action is underway. Those involved in the murder of Subedar Motaleb will face the maximum punishment through the judicial process,” he said, adding that RAB will monitor the case closely until its conclusion.
A security vacuum
On Tuesday, Jungle Salimpur remained eerily quiet. Until at least 1pm, law enforcement presence was eerily absent from the area, despite the fact that a RAB office had just been beaten to death a day prior.
Shops remained shuttered, and movement was minimal.
Right next to the place where Motaleb had been brutally beaten to death, near a BNP office. One local, Mohammad Babul, claimed the attackers mistook the RAB members for criminals and alleged that “criminals were present alongside the RAB team.”
Another man, Mohammad Mizan, claimed that criminals and RAB members had vandalised the BNP office, pointing to a nearby field with overturned chairs and a party signboard.
Notably, all those who spoke to journalists offered nearly identical accounts, while others refused to speak – leading to speculation regarding the climate of fear that the perpetrators had established throughout the area.
Jungle Salimpur currently houses nearly 70,000, albeit illegally, but this hilly settlement continues to operate completely outside formal state control.
The area is widely believed to be dominated by an armed group known as the Yasin Bahini, which allegedly controls entry points, utility services, education, and even religious institutions—effectively running a parallel administration.
False promise or false flag?
Although no visible crackdown was underway, authorities insist a coordinated combing operation is imminent.
Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Zia Uddin acknowledged that gathering intelligence in the remote terrain is difficult but said multiple agencies have already begun preparatory work.
“The deputy commissioner has been assigned overall responsibility,” he said, adding that despite the election schedule, the timing of the operation will be decided immediately.
Sitakunda BNP, in a statement issued Tuesday, denied any involvement in the killing and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, in Sitakunda, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Anwar Siddique Chowdhury expressed deep concern over the delay in arrests, warning that criminal groups in Jungle Salimpur could very well influence the upcoming elections.
