TIB expresses concern over more empowered and unaccountable Battalion

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed concern that the Special Response Battalion (SRB) Bill, 2026, tabled in Parliament with the stated aim of establishing a new specialised police unit following the abolition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), is in effect being designed to provide a legal basis for a more empowered and virtually unaccountable RAB under a new name.

TIB is deeply concerned that the draft retains provisions granting the SRB broad and ambiguous powers, inadequate legal safeguards governing the use of firearms and force, the scope for searches and arrests without warrants based on suspicion, an internal complaints resolution mechanism involving a clear conflict of interest, the risk of transferring RAB personnel to the new force without proper vetting, and the provision to include members of the armed forces on deputation, the anti-graft watchdog said in a statement today, Sunday.

In the statement issued to the media, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “The policy decision to abolish RAB is undoubtedly long overdue, and we wanted to see it as a positive step. But changing the name of a force does not, by itself, constitute institutional reform.”

“Fundamental changes must be made to the structure, personnel, powers, use-of-force provisions and accountability mechanisms of the new force to prevent the recurrence of the serious allegations and evidence of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture associated with RAB,” he stated.

“Otherwise, if a force with the same kind of powers and institutional culture is created under the name of SRB simply by changing RAB’s outer shell, it would amount to little more than repackaging the old institution. The citizens of Bangladesh and the international community cannot be misled by a mere ‘cosmetic makeover’,” he observed.

Referring to the need to amend several provisions of the bill, TIB executive director said, “The bill must permanently close the avenue for members of the armed or defence forces outside the police to be included in the SRB on deputation, as this provision would perpetuate the risk of employing military tactics in internal policing and of training personnel to eliminate opponents, including through killing. At the same time, the draft provides for the wholesale transfer of RAB personnel to the SRB without any form of vetting. In accordance with the United Nations Security Sector Reform (SSR) and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) standards, a transparent and impartial vetting process must be made mandatory to ensure that no member who was accused of or involved in crimes such as extrajudicial killings, torture or enforced disappearance while serving in RAB can be included in the new force.”

Expressing concern over the conferment of sweeping powers on the force and the absence of judicial safeguards in the draft, Iftekharuzzaman further said, “The draft law grants this specialised unit a wide range of powers, from intelligence surveillance to operations, searches and general investigations. Moreover, the inclusion of vague phrases such as ‘maintaining internal security’ and ‘other duties as directed by the government’ creates scope for suppressing dissent and using force for political purposes, as well as the risk of providing legal cover for extrajudicial killings of the kind seen in the past. Similarly, the draft provides scope for searches and arrests without warrants merely on the basis of suspicion, as well as for maintaining the force’s own detention facilities and interrogation rooms. This constitutes a clear violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Criticising the complaints resolution mechanism proposed under Section 22 of the draft law or bill, TIB executive director said, “The proposed ‘Complaints Redress Committee’, comprising the Additional Director General and other police officials of the proposed force, is clearly affected by a conflict of interest. A mechanism whereby allegations of serious human rights violations against members of a force are investigated by their own colleagues cannot, in any way, be considered impartial. Instead of this internal mechanism, a completely independent, impartial and conflict-free civilian oversight authority, free from the influence of the police, the executive branch and the force concerned, and comprising human rights and legal experts, must be established to investigate complaints against the force. At the same time, we call for the committee’s investigation report to be made public and for legal safeguards to be incorporated to ensure the rights of affected individuals to compensation and rehabilitation.”

TIB believes that the proposed abolition of RAB presents an important opportunity for the government to establish a genuinely reformed law-enforcement institution.

Unless clear limits are placed on the powers of the new force and independent and impartial oversight, a transparent personnel vetting process, judicial safeguards and effective remedies are ensured, the fundamental objective of abolishing RAB will remain unfulfilled, it said in the statement.

The abolition of RAB must not be limited to changing the name and outer structure of a force; rather, it should mark the beginning of a new law-enforcement system founded on the rule of law, respect for citizens’ rights, effective accountability, and an end to the culture of human rights violations and impunity. This is TIB’s expectation.

TIB has already sent a detailed policy brief, including a section-by-section analysis of the bill and its recommendations, to the relevant minister and the parliamentary committee.

TIB urges that the law be finalised only after giving due consideration to these recommendations and ensuring the meaningful engagement of relevant experts and stakeholders.