Syed Shemul Parvez :
The reform or abolition of the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has turned into a highly talked-about issue of debate among members of the public following the August- 5 students-people uprising as the force was widely blamed for gross human rights violation during the deposed autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina.
The RAB was formed in 2004 with the aim of suppressing grievous crimes, terrorism and militancy in Bangladesh. Despite earning laurels for certain good jobs, the force had been badly criticized for its involvement in extrajudicial killings and the incidents of enforced disappearances.
The horrific seven murders in Narayanganj, disappearances of BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists during the Awami League government and their detention in Aynaghar, a secret detention facility, are the leading incidents that tarnished the image of the force.
There is a wide discussion whether the RAB will be abolished or a new force will be created to deal with the situation in future.
The interim government has formed the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances. The commission at a recent press conference said that 1,600 complaints have been submitted to the commission on the incidents of disappearances and abduction of people during the last decade and a half of the Awami League government. The commission is investigating 400 of these complaints.
They have found eight secret detention centers where people were forcibly taken away and held for long periods of time.
According to the commission, various agencies including RAB, DGFI, DB, CTTC, CID, and police are involved in these disappearances. Commission member Sajjad Hossain said that RAB was involved in 172 of the 400 incidents analyzed.
It is mentionable that the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the RAB Forces, which play a leading role in controlling the law and order situation in the country, on December 10, 2021, and the need for reform of the RAB Forces was observed. In addition, since RAB does not have any independent law, it faces various legal challenges while conducting operational activities.
Consequently, experts expect that removing these challenges, it is possible to bring about necessary reforms by making the activities of the RAB Forces more dynamic, accountable and up-to-date, including the enactment of the RAB Forces Act 2024 and changing the uniform and logo of the RAB Forces.
In 2022, the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) led by Ali Riaz, a professor of political science at Illinois State University in the United States said that the study was conducted to understand the serious consequences of human rights violations such as disappearances. The most cases of disappearances occurred from 2019 to 2021. The most complaints against RAB were against 71 disappearances from 2019 to 2021. A review of 21 cases of disappearances showed that 21 complaints were made against RAB, which is 40.38 percent.
In this regard, Dr. Touhidul Haque, an associate professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University and also a social and criminologist, said, RAB has played a number of positive roles in normalizing law and order in Bangladesh and in keeping those who were at the top of various types of crimes under control in the past and in maintaining the country’s internal law and order, including drugs. But with the passing of time, the force could not contain its goodwill for certain misdeeds.
Dr. Touhidul Haque urges ensuring transparency and accountability in RAB’s activities through reforms.
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Nurul Huda said that it is entirely a matter of the political party to abolish or reform RAB. He said, if RAB is involved in disappearances or other criminal activities, RAB must be reformed and its work speed should be increased.
He believes an organization cannot be abolished suddenly. If there is cancer in the force, then that part must be cut out through surgery.
In this issue, RAB director general AKM Shahidur Rahman said, the elite force has acknowledged as well as apologized to the family members of those who were killed including the seven-murder of Narayanganj or who were repressed in ‘Aynaghar’ during the Awami League regime by the RAB since its beginning.
On Thursday, he made the comments at a view exchange meeting with journalists at RAB media centre in the city’s Karwan Bazar.
Shahidur Rahman took charge as the RAB boss on 8 August following the fall of Awami League government on 5 August. The RAB DG said, “I want to assure you that as long as I am in charge, our officials would never get involved with criminal offences such as enforced disappearance or killing. We expect that the incidents of torture and atrocities by RAB members should be brought to justice through a fair investigation.”
The director general of RAB, seeking immunity through trial, said that the interim government has formed a commission to investigate incidents of enforced disappearance and the International Crimes Tribunal is conducting trials taking such crimes into cognizance.
He said the allegations against RAB will be tried through a fair and impartial investigation. RAB’s immunity is possible in this way. The RAB DG also warned the members of the force against any wrongdoings.
“We would take stern legal action if any member of the force is found involved with any criminal activities. We have been doing this in the post-5 August period,” the RAB DG added. In reply to RAB’s secret detention centre Aynaghar, he said, “Aynaghar was there and it still exists. The commission (to probe incidents of enforced disappearance) ordered us to keep Aynaghar as it is. We kept it intact without changing anything.”
In reply to another question about demands from different quarters to dismantle RAB, AKM Shahidur Rahman said they will accept any decision about it by the government. The RAB DG, in reply to another question about the Sagar-Runi murder case, said that the case has been handed over to a high profile committee at the behest of the High Court. The committee comprises RAB representatives.
RAB will continue its cooperation in the investigation into the murder of the journalist couple.
