I also have a big share in the crimes of RAB

Mostafa Kamal Majumder

Mostafa Kamal Majumder

On Thursday, September 3, the Home Minister introduced a bill in the National Assembly to abolish the special force called RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) and form a specialized unit under the police force called Special Response Battalion (SRB).

In order to facilitate the passage of the law after thorough scrutiny, the opposition party initially opposed the bill, expressing its fear of creating another specialized force with the same manpower as RAB, but later it unanimously supported the bill after a demand for 4 days of discussion and analysis instead of the proposed two days in the standing committee was accepted by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.

There is only one reason for this consensus. Many government and opposition party leaders, including the Home Minister himself, have been harmed by the force that is on the verge of abilition. The opposition party wanted the force to be abolished in line with the BNP's previous political stance and the 2024 election promise.

The Home Minister said that a technologically strong force is needed to combat high-tech crimes, especially cybercrime. He sought the opposition's cooperation in this regard. After opposition whip Nahid Islam opposed the introduction of the bill, the leader of this bench, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, called for delaying its introduction to give everyone time to scrutinize it. The Home Minister said that the bill should become the property of the house by being introduced. The opposition should scrutinize it in the standing committee for three days instead of two. At one stage of this debate, he accepted the proposal of the opposition leader for a four-day scrutiny period.

However, he said that instead of blaming the police organization for the excesses, those who led the excesses should be held responsible, and that has been done. Moreover, the excesses of a force depend on the instructions of the political government. In the past six months, this force has not been used in any disappearance, murder, or violation of human rights. 'Morning sows the day'. There will be some more safeguards in the new law. There will be clear provisions for accountability and to ensure arrest and trial of any member of this force in the context of a crime.

RAB was formed under a section of the Armed Forces Battalion Act. The Special Response Battalion Act is being enacted by repealing that provision. The government wants the bill to be passed in the current third session.

I started feeling guilty when RAB was publicly sent to the opposition party BNP's public meetings during the previous Awami League government. Because I had advised former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar to form a well-equipped police strike force before he took office. The time was in 2001, at the last reception given by the Iraqi ambassador in Gulshan before the US invasion.

A good relationship was established with him in the nineties during the rule of Awami League. We met in the room adjacent to his Masters Electronics shop in Shantinagar. Before the 2001 elections, we exchanged views at several other places. At that time, we also exchanged views with Mr. Tarique Rahman and Babar Bhai at Ali Asgar Lobby's house in Baridhara. My classmate Haris Chowdhury and BSS journalist Nurul Huda were with us. Any way.

Lutfuzzaman Bhai listened to me attentively, so I explained further that we need a force whose weapons will be more advanced than the modern ones of the criminals. The proposed force should not be unable to jump in to help the police force on the pretext of vehicles, fuel and related expenses. At that time, it was seen that when the police force faced criminal gangs, the criminals were fleeing in some cases due to the power of advanced weapons.

I also told him to provide extra allowances for police members deployed in cities, towns and ports, including Dhaka, according to their location. Because their cost of living is higher than that of the police deployed in rural areas.

Lutfuzzaman Babar Bhai remembered this. At various stages of the formation of this force, we used to talk to each other on mobile. At one stage, he asked me to give a name to this force. At that time, the force was named RAT (Rapid Action Team). Later, the word ‘Team’ was replaced by battalion.

I did not like the appointment of officers from the armed forces in this force. That is why I think the police style was gone from this force. And my suggestion was a strike force. Not a large force spread all over the country. In any case, since then, whenever I received news of any excesses, human rights violations, killings and disappearances by RAB, I also felt guilty.

Since the government is going to create a new Special Response Force, my request is not to drag the officers of the armed forces into it. And since you are making another law outside the Armed Police Battalion Act, remove the word battalion from the name of this new force and call it team or force. I hope that the government and the opposition will pass the law on the basis of consensus.