RAB abuses may redux, TIB warns
A leading anti-corruption watchdog has warned that a proposed paramilitary police unit meant to replace Bangladesh’s disbanded Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) could inherit the same sweeping powers and lack of oversight that made its predecessor notorious for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
In a statement issued Sunday, Transparency International Bangladesh said the Special Response Battalion Bill, 2026 – introduced in Parliament after the government moved to dissolve RAB – contains provisions that would grant the new force broad, loosely defined authority without adequate legal checks.
The organization’s executive director, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, said RAB’s dissolution was a decision that had been “long overdue,” but he cautioned that renaming the unit alone would not constitute meaningful reform.
Structural changes to the force’s staffing, powers and accountability systems were essential, he said, to prevent a repeat of the abuses associated with RAB, including torture and killings outside the law.
Absent such changes, he warned, the government risked simply rebranding the old institution under a new title Special Response Battalion (SRB).
Among TIB’s central objections is a provision that would allow members of the armed forces to serve in the new battalion on deputation.
The organization also flagged a plan to transfer existing RAB personnel into the new force without first screening them for past misconduct.
Iftekharuzzaman called for the provision permitting military personnel to join the force to be scrapped entirely, arguing that its presence could embed military-style tactics into ordinary policing.
He urged the government to establish a transparent, independent vetting process before any RAB officers are absorbed into the new unit.
Citing United Nations standards on security sector reform, TIB said officers implicated in past killings, torture or disappearances during their RAB service should be barred from joining the successor force.
The watchdog also raised alarm over the scope of authority the bill would confer on the new battalion, including powers over intelligence gathering, surveillance, searches and investigations.
Vaguely worded clauses referring to “internal security” and unspecified duties assigned by the government, TIB said, could open the door to political misuse and the suppression of dissent.
Additional concerns center on provisions permitting warrantless searches and arrests based on suspicion alone, as well as plans to establish detention and interrogation facilities under the force’s control.
TIB said these elements raise questions about compliance with international human rights law and constitutional protections.
TIB reserved particular criticism for the bill’s proposed complaints mechanism.
Under Section 22, allegations against force members would be reviewed by a committee made up of senior officials and personnel from within the battalion itself – a structure TIB said could not function impartially, since it would leave officers investigating their own colleagues.
The organization called instead for an independent civilian oversight body, insulated from the police, the executive branch and the battalion itself, and staffed in part by human rights and legal experts.
It also urged that investigation findings be made public and that the law guarantee compensation and rehabilitation for victims of abuse.
TIB framed RAB’s dissolution as a rare opportunity to build a law enforcement institution grounded in legal accountability and respect for civil rights.
Without clear limits on the new force’s powers, independent oversight, rigorous personnel vetting and judicial safeguards, the group said, the goal of eliminating RAB-style abuses would go unmet.
The organization said it has already submitted a detailed policy brief to the relevant minister and parliamentary committee, including a clause-by-clause analysis of the bill, and has called on lawmakers to incorporate its recommendations and consult further with outside experts before finalizing the legislation.
