Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government is taking steps to form an elite force under a new law to ensure public safety.
He said the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is currently operating on an ad hoc basis, which is not appropriate, and that work is therefore underway to enact a separate law for the force.
He made the remarks yesterday, while speaking to journalists at the RAB headquarters on the occasion of the force’s 22nd founding anniversary.
The home minister said the government is planning to introduce a new law that will fully uphold human rights. Under the proposed law, an elite force will be formed to ensure public security in line with new expectations.
He said the new force could either be a reformed version of the current RAB structure or be established under a new name, adding that the government is still considering the matter. However, he said accountability and transparency would be ensured in any case.
“The authority will remain, and so will the responsibility. At the same time, transparency and accountability of the force will be guaranteed through the law,” he said.
The minister added that RAB is currently operating under provisions of the Armed Police Battalion framework and has long functioned on an ad hoc basis. After taking office, he reviewed the matter and concluded that a force should not be run in such a manner. Therefore, he said, the new law will clearly define the force’s responsibilities, powers, and accountability.
Regarding US sanctions against RAB, the home minister said the institution suffered because of the actions of some officers. However, he added that the responsibility of a few individuals should not fall on the entire organization.
He said that during the previous administration, many institutions—including the police, army, RAB, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)—had been used politically. According to him, the United States imposed sanctions because RAB had been used as a political tool at the time.
The minister further said instructions had been given to take action against the officers concerned under the relevant laws. He also expressed hope that the international community would reconsider the matter following the formation or restructuring of a new elite force.
Responding to a question about whether the force might be used politically in the future, he said: “Morning shows the day. In the last three months, has RAB, the police, or any other force been used politically? No.”
Replying to questions about the commission report on enforced disappearances and the case involving Ilyas Ali, he said the matter is currently under legal process. Cases have been filed with the ICT court, and work is underway to bring various definitions and judicial procedures related to disappearances under the law.