Armed gang control area in Chattogram, attack police, administration on entry

For four decades, hills have been cut to establish thousands of illegal settlements. Hill-cutting for plot trading continues to this day. To protect this trade and occupation, a criminal gang has been set up in the area. The gang maintains armed patrols around the clock. Residents need identification to enter, and outsiders cannot access the area. Even police and district administration personnel have frequently been attacked when attempting to enter.

This area, located in Salimpur Union of Sitakunda, Chattogram, is called Jangal Salimpur. Its rugged hilly terrain has made it a safe haven for criminals. Being government ‘khaas’ land, the authorities had planned 11 projects, including a prison and an IT park. However, these projects cannot be implemented because the government has been unable to reclaim the encroached land.

Since the political upheaval in the country on 5 August last year, clashes and killings over control of this area have been ongoing. Recently, a shootout occurred between two criminal factions over control of the area, resulting in one death. The following day, two journalists were attacked and beaten by criminals while preparing a report there.

Jangal Salimpur is located on 3,100 acres on the north side of Link Road, opposite Asian Women University, two kilometres west of Bayezid Bostami in Chattogram city. Although it lies in Sitakunda, it is largely within the city limits. To the east is Hathazari upazila, and to the south is Bayezid police station.

Sources in the district administration say that land around the Link Road area is being sold at Tk 900,000 to Tk 1,000,000 per decimal. At such, the 3,100-acre khaas land in Jangal Salimpur is worth nearly Tk 300 billion. In addition, the area contains government-owned trees and other assets, which have been seized by hill cutters, land grabbers, and criminals.

According to police and local sources, in the 1990s, criminal Ali Akkas began establishing settlements in Jangal Salimpur by cutting hills. To maintain control, he formed his own armed group. Due to the area’s rugged terrain, law enforcement could not enter. Taking advantage of this, Akkas group started selling the ‘khaas’ land to low-income people.

Initially, two decimals of land were sold for Tk 20,000. These transactions were conducted using non-judicial stamps. The plot buyers were included in an organisation called the “Displaced Cooperative Society,” and regular fees were collected under the pretext of providing electricity, water, education, healthcare, and other services. Multiple iron gates were erected at the entrance of Jangal Salimpur, and no one could pass without an identity card. Conflicts over plot money and hill control later arose within the group. During this period, Akkas was killed in a “gunfight” with the RAB. A few days later, his associates Kazi Moshiur Rahman, Yasin Mia, Gafur Member, and Gazi Sadek formed separate factions.

After the previous Awami League government came to power, Yasin took shelter under SM Al Mamun of Sitakunda, a former MP and Awami League leader. Yasin leads the Alinagar Multipurpose Association in the area. Meanwhile, Kazi Moshiur and Gazi Sadek head the City Slum Dwellers’ Struggle Council. Those who purchased plots are members of these two associations, which now have nearly 30,000 members between them.

On 2 January, Mir Arman, the proposed president of the Union Workers’ Party committee, was killed in Salimpur. He was lured from his home and murdered. In the past 14 months, four people have been killed in the area. Police say all the killings are linked to maintaining control and dominance over the hilly region.

According to local residents, after 5 August last year, the faction led by Rokon Uddin, expelled joint general secretary of Chattogram North District Jubo Dal, launched attacks to remove Yasin and seize control of Alinagar in Jangal Salimpur. He is accompanied by Kazi Moshiur, Gazi Sadek, and Golam Gafur. However, they have been unable to overcome Yasin’s faction. Kazi Moshiur’s group controls the Salimpur part of Jangal Salimpur, while Yasin remains in Alinagar. Now, Kazi Moshiur and his group, along with Rokon, are desperate to take over Alinagar.

In the early hours of 4 October, Rokon’s followers tried to seize Alinagar in Jangal Salimpur, bringing people from various parts of the city and district. During the attempt, his supporter Khalilur Rahman was beaten to death, and at least 25 others were injured. Following a case filed by the deceased’s father, the police arrested three individuals.

Recently a conversation about buying weapons worth Tk 6,000,000 to seize Alinagar’s hills surfaced. Police have identified the person who spoke about the weapons as expelled Jubo Dal leader Rokon Uddin. In the recording he can be heard saying, “I am ready to fight in the slums. I have bought weapons worth Tk 5,000,000–Tk 6,000,000; I will do whatever it takes. No outsider will be able to lead in Jangal Salimpur.”

When asked about the circulated audio recording, Rokon Uddin denied it was his. Speaking about the Alinagar takeover he said, “A smear campaign is being run against me. I do not own a plot in Salimpur. As I am active in politics, I look after my party people. There has long been rivalry and various incidents with Yasin over control of Salimpur. Any of his rivals could have done this.”

Multiple calls were made to Yasin for his response, but his mobile phone was found switched off.

Settlements in Salimpur, created by cutting hills, are sold in small plots. Plot sales are carried out through advertisements and leaflets. Recently, this correspondent obtained a leaflet promoting plot sales in the Alinagar residential area of Salimpur. Using this as a lead, contact was made with a seller named Russel Sarkar.

Russel Sarkar said they have some plots in Alinagar measuring two and a half kathas each. These plots will be sold for Tk 3,000,000 each, and houses can be built on them immediately. In addition, some plots are being sold for Tk 500,000, though some work on them is still pending. He added that there are 26,000 such plots in total, of which 23,000 have already been sold.

When asked about the legality of selling government ‘khaas’ land and hills, Russel Sarkar said the plots are being sold through the association, so there should be no problem with the transactions. “There are no hills here, only land,” he added.

Residents said that Yasin’s people mainly sell Alinagar plots through the Alinagar Multipurpose Association. Outside this, land in other parts of Jangal Salimpur is sold through the City Slum Dwellers’ Struggle Council.

On 14 September 2023, after clearing illegal structures from the hills in the Chhinnamul Boraitala No. 2 community of Jangal Salimpur, the district administration team was attacked on their way back. At least 20 people, including then executive magistrate Md Umar Faruk and Sitakunda police officer-in-charge Tofail Ahmed, were injured. Residents of the area also threw petrol bombs and bricks at the officials. The police fired shots to bring the situation under control.

Earlier, on 4 February 2022, there was a gunfight between criminals and the RAB in Jangal Salimpur. On 2 August the same year, the district administration team was obstructed on their way back after clearing illegal houses. On 8 September 2022, when the administration went to demolish illegal settlements in Alinagar, criminals there attacked the police.

Besides these incidents, law enforcement and local administration have repeatedly faced obstacles whenever they conducted operations in the area. Although the district administration and the Department of Environment occasionally seized hill-cutting machinery and drum trucks during raids, hill-cutting resumed soon after.

It is reported that as soon as law enforcement vehicles enter, the occupiers and criminals stationed at the entrance are quickly alerted. They immediately gather and begin firing and throwing bricks and stones from the hills.

Muktadir Hasan, assistant director of the Department of Environment in Chattogram, said he was also attacked during an operation in the area in 2019. He added that every time the department has conducted operations to stop hill-cutting, some incident has occurred. In response to a question, he said, “Illegal settlers must be removed through a planned joint operation directed from the highest level of the government. Otherwise, the hills of Jangal Salimpur cannot be protected.”

When asked why law enforcement repeatedly come under attack in Jangal Salimpur, the former officer-in-charge of Akbar Shah police station, who led several operations there, told Prothom Alo: “Because of its geography, as soon as law enforcement enter the area, the people who have built illegal settlements and their forces are alerted by lookouts. They begin attacking from the hills above. Such situations cannot be controlled by firing alone. Operations must be conducted jointly and according to a plan.”

Posing as a prospective plot buyer, this correspondent recently visited Alinagar. The journey began from the Textile Gate area outside Bayezid Bostami police station, where this correspondent boarded a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Four other passengers were already on board. As the vehicle moved, a young man sitting beside the driver spoke about the recent violence in Alinagar.

After roughly 25 minutes the auto-rickshaw halted at the Alinagar stand. This correspondent disembarked with the other passengers and attempted to walk into Alinagar, covering about 200 yards, when four young men seated on chairs blocked this correspondent’s path and demanded to know his identity.

When this correspondent said he had come to buy a plot, one of them warned, “Now is a bad time; buy the plot later and go back where you came from.” Another of the youths then made a show of a pistol tucked into his waist. Eventually, they arranged for this correspondent to be taken away in an auto-rickshaw. The vehicle left five minutes later when it was full; until it departed, three of the youths remained standing guard beside the vehicle.

A fellow passenger told this correspondent that longtime residents of Alinagar are known to the local guards, so they are rarely questioned. Newcomers, however, must show ID cards. If a visitor is a relative of a resident, the locals either come to the gate to fetch them or they confirm identity by phone.

Informing this correspondent that he had bought a plot in Alinagar in 2008 for Tk 50,000, the passenger added that a rival group has been attempting to seize control of Alinagar area for some time. “There are frequent gunfights and clashes,” he said, “so security has tightened.”

On 23 June 2022, the then deputy commissioner of Chattogram announced plans to divide the Jangal Salimpur area into 11 plots for various projects, including Chattogram Central Jail-2, a model mosque and a new science theatre.

Because the existing jail was holding more than three times its capacity, 50 acres of Salimpur were earmarked for a new prison. Correspondence followed between the district administration and the Department of Prisons.

Jangal Salimpur was judged suitable for a jail because of its proximity to the court complex, the medical college and the police lines, which would make transferring detainees to court easier.

Prison authorities had made all necessary preparations. But in March this year the district administration reported that the Salimpur lands were occupied and could not be transferred to the prisons department.

Iqbal Hossain, senior superintendent at Chattogram Central Jail, told Prothom Alo, “It would have been good to build the jail at Jangal Salimpur. But the district administration says it cannot hand over the land, so we are looking for another site.”

District administration sources say that 48 institutions — military and civilian, government and non-government, autonomous bodies among them — have applied for land in Jangal Salimpur to construct facilities.

If projects were implemented on state khas land without further acquisition, construction costs would fall considerably. Yet, no progress has been made in any of these projects as the land cannot be recovered from occupiers.

When asked, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) Sadiur Rahim told Prothom Alo that efforts are underway to evict illegal settlements on the Salimpur hills.

“This cannot be achieved by the district administration alone. A coordinated joint operation involving multiple agencies and ministries will be required to evict the illegal settlements and recover state land,” he said.

Chattogram district superintendent of police Saiful Islam said that fresh plans are being prepared for operations in Jangal Salimpur.

“Security forces are subjected to attacks as soon as they enter that area. We are therefore planning operations in consultation with all concerned parties,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Hafizur Rahman, director of RAB-7 in Chattogram, told Prothom Alo that a combined operation is necessary to rid Jungle Salimpur of criminal elements.

“We must conduct coordinated action to make Jangal Salimpur free of terrorism,” he said.