Salimpur’s Notorious Hills Under Threat

The rugged hill tract known as Jangal Salimpur in Sitakunda, near the port city of Chattogram, has increasingly become a focal point of environmental degradation, unregulated settlement expansion, and criminal activity. Although the name suggests dense forest, decades of unrestrained hill cutting and land speculation have transformed the landscape, leaving many of its hills stripped bare and fragmented into residential plots.

Situated roughly two kilometres west of Bayezid Bostami and opposite the Asian University for Women along the Bayezid–Faujdarhat link road, the 3,100-acre area lies administratively within Sitakunda but functions almost as an extension of the metropolitan fringe. Over time, it has evolved into a complex settlement zone consisting mainly of two major sections: the Chinnomul area and Alinagar.

Origins of the Settlement

Local accounts indicate that organised occupation of the hills began during the 1990s when a notorious criminal figure, Ali Akkas, initiated large-scale hill cutting and informal settlement projects. By carving out plots from state-owned hillside land and selling them cheaply to low-income families, he established a profitable land trade. To maintain control over the area, Akkas reportedly formed an armed group that restricted entry by outsiders.

Following Akkas’s death in a gun battle with law enforcement, several of his associates allegedly divided control of the territory among themselves, forming separate factions that continued the land business. These factions later organised residents into local associations representing thousands of plot buyers and occupants.

Structure of the Area

Today, Jangal Salimpur resembles an improvised township spreading across cut hillsides, with roads carved through slopes and houses built at both hilltops and foothills. Despite the difficult terrain, markets, schools, religious sites, and other small institutions have gradually emerged.

Key features of the area include:

The landscape now contains narrow pathways, improvised access roads, electricity poles, and densely packed houses built along steep slopes. In some places, brick walls mark newly prepared plots intended for sale.

Security Concerns and Restricted Access

The area has long been associated with security concerns. Rival factions allegedly maintain control over different neighbourhoods, while access to certain parts, particularly Alinagar, is often restricted. Visitors reportedly require permission to enter, and residents must sometimes escort guests through checkpoints.

Law enforcement agencies have faced resistance during previous attempts to conduct operations in the region. In one recent incident, an officer from the Rapid Action Battalion was killed during an enforcement operation, underscoring the risks faced by authorities attempting to intervene.

During a joint operation conducted on Monday by the army, police, border guards, and other security units, officers encountered several obstacles, including roads deliberately blocked with vehicles and damaged infrastructure that hindered their movement deeper into the hills.

Environmental Impact

Experts warn that the continued destruction of hills in Jangal Salimpur could cause severe environmental consequences. Many of the once-forested slopes have been stripped of vegetation, leaving exposed soil vulnerable to erosion and landslides during heavy rainfall.

A brief assessment of the environmental situation shows:

Officials involved in the recent operation cautioned that if the ongoing hill cutting is not halted, the area could soon lose its remaining hill formations entirely.

Development Plans and Administrative Challenges

Government authorities have previously proposed large-scale development initiatives for the area, including the construction of a new central prison, a model mosque, and other public facilities. However, these plans have repeatedly stalled because the land remains occupied by informal settlements.

Despite the challenges, senior officials say the state is determined to reassert administrative control and eventually implement long-planned development projects. Civil society representatives have also urged authorities to act decisively to protect public land while ensuring that displaced residents are provided with appropriate relocation arrangements.

The situation in Jangal Salimpur illustrates the complex intersection of poverty, urban expansion, environmental degradation, and governance challenges. Unless effective enforcement and sustainable planning measures are introduced, the fragile hills surrounding Chattogram may continue to disappear under the pressures of unregulated settlement and land speculation.