RAB officer murder suspect in Jungle Salimpur challenges authorities over area control

Md Yasin, the prime suspect in the killing of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer Md Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan in Chattogram’s Jungle Salimpur, openly challenged law enforcement, demanding that authorities provide a list of suspects before entering “his area” and insisting RAB personnel be held accountable for conducting operations without “his permission”.

Addressing the administration in a press conference from his Alinagar office today (22 January), Yasin claimed it was unclear whom RAB intended to arrest during Monday’s operation and threatened that the administration would be held responsible if any untoward incidents occurred in the area in the future. Denying any involvement in the RAB officer’s death, he shifted the blame to his political rival, Rokon Uddin, alleging that BNP Chattogram-4 candidate Aslam Chowdhury was providing him protection while Rokon carried out these activities.

Yasin also boasted that former Chattogram deputy commissioner (DC) Muminur Rahman had attempted to evict him earlier but failed, while he maintained control over Jungle Salimpur. He further threatened that no one could remove him from the area and that any harassment of residents during administrative operations would not be tolerated.

Authorities have filed a case over the attack, naming 29 suspects, including Yasin, and listing another 150–200 unidentified individuals.

Following early-morning operations yesterday, police arrested three men – Yunus Ali, Jahid Hossain, and Mohammad Arif – and recovered firearms looted from RAB members, including four foreign-made pistols. Sitakunda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Mohinul Islam confirmed the operation is ongoing, saying, “The drive is continuing. We will confirm the details later.”

Jungle Salimpur, a 3,100-acre government forest in Sitakunda, has long served as a refuge for criminals and land grabbers. On Monday, a RAB-7 team conducting an illegal arms recovery operation was ambushed, leaving Subedar Nayek Md Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan dead and three others taken hostage. The captives were later freed during a three-hour joint operation by the army, police, and RAB. While authorities vowed to dismantle the criminal stronghold, Yasin’s public threats have added a new layer of challenge to restoring control in the area.