A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer was killed and two others were seriously injured during a violent mob attack in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur area, about 12 kilometers from Chattogram city, on January 19. The incident occurred when a 16-member RAB-7 team conducted an operation targeting suspected armed groups. Deputy Assistant Director Abdul Motaleb, 45, was beaten to death after being captured, while two other RAB members and a source sustained severe injuries. Videos obtained by the newspaper show Motaleb being brutally assaulted by multiple attackers inside a room.

According to RAB officials, the operation had been planned for two months amid reports of growing influence of armed groups in the area. The violence erupted after RAB members arrested two suspects, including a man named Yasin, during a gathering of over 150 people. The crowd quickly turned hostile, and more than 300 attackers joined the assault. Police later rescued four RAB members from Nizampur, three kilometers away, all bearing signs of severe physical assault but no gunshot wounds.

Authorities confirmed that the area has long been under the control of rival armed groups, and the attack has intensified concerns over law enforcement safety in the region.