Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) has arrested two more suspects, including a primary accused, in connection with the high-profile murder of Deputy Assistant Director Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan. The arrests were confirmed by RAB-7 officials on Tuesday morning, January 27.
The suspects have been identified as Md. Mizan, a named accused in the case, and one of his associates. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to three. Earlier, on Friday, January 23, another prime suspect known as "Kala Bachchu" was apprehended in the Chhinnomul Market area of Jungle Salimpur.
The Incident
The case stems from a violent ambush on Monday afternoon, January 19. A team from RAB-7 was conducting an operation in the Jungle Salimpur area of Sitakunda when their vehicle was intercepted by criminals.
The attackers vandalized the vehicle and opened fire indiscriminately on the elite force members. Four RAB members sustained gunshot wounds during the assault. They were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where doctors declared Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan dead. The other three injured members are currently undergoing advanced medical treatment.
The fallen officer was buried with full state honors in Cumilla on January 20.
Jungle Salimpur: A "Fortress of Terror"
The arrests have once again shone a light on the lawlessness of Jungle Salimpur. Spanning 3,100 acres of government-owned "khas" land, the area is geographically located in Sitakunda but is primarily accessed through the Bayezid Thana area of Chittagong city.
Over the last four decades, thousands of illegal settlements have been built by cutting down hills. Local reports describe the area as a "fortress" ruled by armed gangs who maintain a constant guard to protect lucrative illegal plot-trading and land grabbing. Frequent clashes and attacks in the region have left ordinary residents in a state of constant fear.
