BNP also demands abolition of RAB

Local and foreign rights organisations have long demanded the abolition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) alleging the force's involvement in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and murders. Now the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recommended the same.

Although the BNP government formed this elite force during its term from 2001-2006, the party said they proposed it due to the past activities of RAB.

On 5 December, the BNP submitted a proposal including the disbanding of RAB and the constitution of a police commission to the Police Administration Reform Commission, formed by the interim government.

M Hafizuddin Ahmed, member of the BNP standing committee and head of the party's police administration reform commission, said this at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office in Dhaka Tuesday.

He said they made the recommendation to dissolve the force considering its past activities.

The RAB was formed during the Khaleda Zia government in 2004. Replying to a query about why they recommended disbanding the force instead of reform, Hafizuddin Ahmed said when a patient, according to medical studies, suffers from gangrene, there is no way other than severing that particular organ.

“We think RAB has been condemned so much internationally, and it has turned out to be a monster within the country. Most of the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and murders were carried out by the RAB. That is why we recommended its disbanding,” he told the media.

This senior BNP leader further said the abolition of the RAB at this moment would give a good signal to people.

He expressed that if the RAB is dissolved, necessary measures must be taken so that the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and forces at local police stations can carry out this duty.

Global rights bodies including Human Rights Watch (HRW) have long been demanding the dissolution of RAB, especially when RAB faced widespread allegations of abducting and killing opposition leaders ahead and after the parliamentary election on 5 January 2014. Previously, the elite force had allegedly been carrying out extrajudicial killings in the name of “crossfire”.

The US imposed sanctions on RAB and its six officials on “allegations of involvement in severe violations of human rights” on 10 December 2021. The ban is still in place.

Lastly, US-based rights body HRW wrote an open letter to the Chief Adviser to the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus in the last week of August, demanding the dissolution of RAB.

The letter stated that RAB was involved in gross violation of human rights and enjoyed impunity during the past governments.

Meanwhile, the inquiry commission investigating enforced disappearances said at a press conference on 5 November that they received over 1,600 complaints regarding enforced disappearances. An analysis of 400 such incidents found that RAB was involved in 172 cases.

BNP thinks if their recommendations are implemented, various inconsistencies and irregularities will be eliminated from the duty of the police department.

Former home secretary SM Zahirul Islam, former IGPs Abdul Qayyum and Ashraful Huda, and former DIGs Sayeed Hasan Khan and Ansar Uddin Khan Pathan were present at the press conference.

At the press conference, BNP leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, “It is not desirable to imagine any state or society without police. So, there is no chance to disband this force despite the agency apparently turning out to be a common enemy. The agency must be revived through reforms.”

He stated that the reform to the police department has become a national demand not only to receive improved services but also to prevent the repetition of the recent brutal behaviour in future.

Speaking about BNP’s recommendation on forming a police commission, Hafiz Uddin said this commission would act as a watchdog. There would be citizen committees at upazila levels where locals will watch over police activities and give necessary advice.

Hafiz Uddin further said if parliament is in session the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry will head the commission, and if there is no parliament a retired justice of the Supreme Court will head the commission during the interim government.

The eight-member commission will include a ruling party MP, an opposition MP, a university teacher, a senior lawyer from the High Court, an eminent citizen, an additional secretary nominated by the home secretary while an additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) nominated by the IGP could act as the member secretary of the commission, he added.

Hafiz Uddin said appointment of the members, as well as the scope of work and tenure of the commission, will be determined as per the rules and regulations of the government.

Besides, BNP proposed the formation of a citizen committee at all upazilas and police stations to help the police curb crimes at local levels, improve people-police relations and give advice on law and order situation protection.

This committee would be formed with local influential and renowned individuals. Community policing was also recommended at the union level.