Home minister, IGP to visit Jungle Salimpur on Sunday

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manjur Morshed Chowdhury, and Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir are scheduled to visit Jungle Salimpur in Sitakunda, Chattogram, on Sunday, May 31.

The officials will tour the area with Chattogram law enforcement leaders. Chattogram district police are making various preparations for the visit, with most officers in the unit having their leave cancelled or shortened.

A senior official of Chattogram district police confirmed the minister's visit to Dhaka Post on Tuesday morning, May 26.

The minister will inspect the area in person and then issue necessary directives to concerned officials regarding the law and order situation there. However, police officials said the minister's visit had been planned before the recent attack on a joint forces camp in the area.

On Sunday night, May 24, an armed group suddenly attacked a joint forces camp established in Jungle Salimpur. Police and RAB fired back, forcing the attackers to retreat. However, before that, the attackers demolished an under-construction law enforcement camp in the area with a bulldozer. To prevent police retaliation, the attackers also cut a road in the area.

The Jungle Salimpur area has long been known as a 'safe haven for terrorists'. In a major crackdown on March 9, law enforcement agencies, including army, police, RAB, BGB and APBn, conducted a massive operation to dismantle criminal hideouts and establish administrative control. A large number of illegal arms were recovered, and many were arrested. Permanent checkposts were set up at key points, and two permanent joint police and RAB camps were later established in Jungle Salimpur and Alinagar to strengthen security.

Earlier, on January 19, RAB Deputy Assistant Director Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan was killed in an attack by terrorists during an operation in Jungle Salimpur.