The government has moved to abolish the Rapid Action Battalion and replace it with a new specialized force under the police, introducing legislation in the National Parliament on Thursday that would fundamentally restructure one of Bangladesh’s key law enforcement agencies.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed introduced the Special Response Battalion (SRB) Act, 2026 bill, which proposes transferring RAB’s personnel, assets and responsibilities to a newly created Special Response Battalion.
The bill was subsequently sent to the parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny.
Under the proposed law, the SRB will operate as a specialised unit of the police, tasked with combating terrorism and organized crime, recovering illegal firearms and drugs, tackling cybercrime and preventing violence against women and children.
Its headquarters will be in Dhaka, with a director general exercising administrative and operational authority.
SRB personnel would have powers to search, seize and arrest, but the bill stipulates that those powers must be exercised in accordance with existing laws.
The proposed legislation also introduces disciplinary provisions, including dismissal, demotion and fines for misconduct.
Significantly, the bill provides for a grievance redressal committee aimed at strengthening human rights protection and accountability within the new force.
Once the legislation comes into effect, RAB’s manpower, resources and operational responsibilities will be transferred to the SRB, effectively bringing an end to the existing force.
The government says the restructuring is necessary to create a modern and accountable specialized law enforcement unit capable of responding to changing patterns of crime and emerging national security challenges.