Rapid Action Battalion
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Rapid Action Battalion or RAB, is an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the
Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement ...
. This elite force consists of members of the
Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...
,
Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement ...
,
Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...
,
Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of B ...
,
Border Guard Bangladesh Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The force is known as "The Vigilant Sentinels of the National Frontier". The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the borde ...
,
Bangladesh Civil Service Bangladesh Civil Service ( bn, বাংলাদেশ সিভিল সার্ভিস ), more popularly known by its acronym BCS, is the civil service of Bangladesh. Civil service in the Indian subcontinent originated from the Imperial ...
and
Bangladesh Ansar The Bangladesh Ansar (also known as the Ansar Bahini) is a paramilitary auxiliary force responsible for the preservation of internal security and law enforcement in Bangladesh. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government ...
. It was formed on 26 March 2004 as RAT (Rapid Action Team), and commenced operations on 14 April 2004. From 2004 to 2008 RAB had killed 1,062 people. The Rapid Action Battalion has been criticized by rights groups for its use of
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
and is accused of
forced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organiza ...
s.


History


2003-2008

Rapid Action Battalion was formed on 12 July 2003 under the
Armed Police Battalion The Armed Police Battalion is a specialised unit of the Bangladesh Police. It is headquartered in Dhaka. History The Armed Police Battalion was formed on 1 October 1975 as a specialized force of the Bangladesh Police through The Armed Police Batta ...
(Amendment) Act, 2003. The act was passed through the amendment of Armed Forces Battalion Ordinance 1979 which provides immunity to RAB officers for actions taken in the course of their duty. Each battalion of Rapid Action Battalion is commanded by Additional Deputy Inspector General rank officer or its equivalent in other forces. RAB cannot file cases with courts themselves but must be forward the cases to
Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement ...
who will file the case with the court. RAB is composed of personnel from Bangladesh military and law enforcement agencies who return to their own units after service with RAB ends. RAB replaced the short lived Rapid Action Team (RAT) which was formed in January 2003. RAB has faced criticism for alleged extrajudicial killings from its formation. In an editorial on 23 July 2004 ''The Daily Star'' wrote "reign it in before it turns into a
ABid Abid ( ar, عابد ''‘Ābid''), also ''Abed'', literally meaning ''worshipper'', ''adorer'', ''devout'' may be either a surname or given name. In the Russian language, "" (''Abid''), or its form "" (''Avid''), is an old and uncommonPetrovsky, ...
monster." RAB was provided weapons seized from
10-Truck Arms and Ammunition Haul in Chittagong The incident of the 10-Truck Arms and Ammunition Haul took place in Chattogram, Bangladesh, on the night of 1 April 2004, when police and Coast Guard interrupted the loading of ten trucks and seized extensive illegal arms and ammunition at a jett ...
on 16 April 2004. RAB has a media centre in Karwan Bazar. On 15 July 2004, RAB arrested Sumon Ahmed Majumder, a
Jubo League The Bangladesh Awami Jubo League ( bn, বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী যুবলীগ) commonly known as the Jubo League, is the first youth organization of Bangladesh founded by Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani. It is the youth wing o ...
leader and garment trader, in Tongi. He died within 10 hours of being arrested from torture at RAB headquarters in Uttara. He was a witness to the murder of
Ahsanullah Master Ahsanullah Master (9 November 1950 – 7 May 2004) was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a Jatiya Sangsad member from the Gazipur-2 constituency. He was a notable trade union leader who was assassinated in May 2004. He was awarded Indepe ...
, member of parliament from Awami League. Police claimed he died while resisting arrest while RAB claimed he was lynched by the general public. Police refused to take a complaint from his father. On 30 May 2005, RAB arrested Abul Kalam Azad Sumon, a tailor and Bangladesh Chhattra League activist, from Dhaka along with two others. He was killed soon after. He had been shot six times and his body showed signs of torture. According to his mother, Sumon had switched from Bangladesh Nationalist Party to Awami League which angered his local member of parliament
Mirza Abbas Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed, known as Mirza Abbas, (born 7 February 1951) is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and a member of the national standing committee of the party. He was the Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation from 1991 to 1993. He was ...
. On 8 March 2006, RAB detained Md. Masudur Rahman, a businessman and activist of Jubo League, from Dhaka. His body was found with signs of torture and bullet wounds the next day. On 24 January 2007, journalist Jahangir Alam Akash was detained and tortured by RAB-5 in Rajshahi by Major Rashidul Hassan Rashid. On 15 July 2008, Moshiul Alam Sentu of
Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal ( bn, জাতীয়তাবাদী ছাত্রদল ''Jatiyôtabadee Chhatrô Dôl''), also known as ''J.C.D'', is the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Many of the top BNP leade ...
was detained by Rapid Action Battalion from Dhaka and his body was found the next day in a paddy field in Barisal. According to RAB he died in a crossfire; his body showed signs of torture. Dr. Mizanur Rahman Tutul, leader of the insurgent
Purbo Banglar Communist Party The Purbo Banglar Communist Party (East Bengal Communist Party) or PBCP is an outlawed Communist Party in Bangladesh. The PBCP formed in 1968 following a split in the Bangladesh Communist Party. It is mainly active in the areas of Khulna and Jess ...
, was detained on 26 July and his body was recovered the next day.


2009-2018

Shafique Ahmed Shafique Ahmed (born 16 July 1937) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician. He served as the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. Education Ahmed earned his bachelor's and master's in geography fro ...
, Minister of Law, defended RAB to Human Rights Watch by saying RAB only killed criminals in 2009. On May 28, Moshin Sheikh, and Ali Jinnah, students of
Dhaka Polytechnic Institute Dhaka Polytechnic Institute ( bn, ঢাকা পলিটেকনিক ইনস্টিটিউট, also known as DPI) is a government technical institute in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the largest and the oldest polytechnic academia in moder ...
, were killed in a crossfire by RAB. On 22 October, F. M. Masum, a reporter of the
New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
, was beaten after he hesitated to open the door for plainclothes RAB officers who were assaulting his landlord's wife. The officers had said he deserved to beaten for working for
Nurul Kabir Nurul Kabir ( bn, নূরুল কবির) is a Bangladeshi journalist, writer, columnist, editor, and activist. He is the editor of the outspoken Bangladeshi newspaper, ''New Age'' and the editor of the Bengali weekly ''Budhbar''. ''Nairbac ...
,Oeditor of the New Age. Bangladesh Air Force Officer Anisur Rahman, on deputation to RAB, was found guilty of torture by RAB's own internal investigation; he was sent back to the air force and no further action was taken. RAB-1 led by Flight Lieutenant Raihan Asgar Khan killed Kaiser Mahmud Bappi in a crossfire. On 13 November, Lutfar Rahman Khalashi, and Khairul Huq Khalashi, two brothers and businessmen, were detained by RAB from Narayanganj District. Their family organized a press conference and protest asking they not be killed in a crossfire. They were killed in a crossfire on 16 November. Bangladesh High Court expressed concern over the death of the two brothers. On 3 February, Mohiuddin Arif, a technician at Apollo Hospital Dhaka was detained and tortured in custody by RAB. He later died from his injuries. Azad Hussein Pappu, and Abdus Sattar were detained on 27 February and killed the next in a crossfire by RAB on 28 February 2010. On 22 March 2010, Bangladesh Police stopped a photo exhibition on deaths by RAB at
Drik Picture Library Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Background Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropolog ...
by
Shahidul Alam Shahidul Alam (born 1955) is a Bangladeshi photojournalist, teacher and social activist. He has been a photographer for more than forty years and "his photographs have been published in almost every major western media outlet". Alam founded the ...
. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, a salesman and member of extremist Allah-r Dol, was forcible disappeared by RAB in February. RAB detained the Asian Human Rights Commission representative, William Gomes, and tortured him at their headquarters on 21 May 2011. Limon Hossain, a 16 year old student of Jhalakati College, was shot by RAB and had to have his leg amputated on 23 March 2011. Hossain was assulted by informants of RAB on 20 August 2012. Rasal Ahmed Bhutto, was detained on 3 March and killed in a crossfire a week later. On 5 March 2012, RAB told Mohammad Imam Hassan's family members that they rescued him and demanded a bribe for his release. Despite a bribe being paid, he has not been seen since then. On 11 May 2013, Mohammad Fokhrul Islam, a businessman, was the victim of enforced disappearance by RAB. His family members were warned by RAB with enforced disappearance not to talk about the issue. On 27 November 2013,
Saiful Islam Hiru Saiful Islam Hiru is a Bangladeshi politician from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a former Member of Parliament. CareerRokibul Saiful Islam Hiru was elected to Parliament from Comilla-10 in 1988 representing Laksham. He is the president ...
, former Bangladesh Nationalist Party member of parliament, and Mohammad Humayun Kabir Parvez, Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, disappeared after being detained by RAB led by Lieutenant Colonel Tareque Sayeed. RAB was involved in the enforced disappearance of Adnan Chowdhury, Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, on 5 December. The police refused to take a case from Chowdhury's father which mentioned RAB. In Narayganj, rogue RAB-11 officers led by Lieutenant Colonel
Tareque Sayeed Lieutenant Colonel (Dismissed) Tareque Sayeed Mohammad is a former Bangladeshi Army officer who was convicted in the Murders of the Narayanganj Seven, Narayanganj Seven murder case. He was the commanding officer of Bangladesh elite force Rapid A ...
abducted and killed seven men in April 2014. On 10 March 2015, RAB vehicle was seen when Salahuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, leader was victim of enforced disappearance by law enforcement agencies. In March 2017, Intelligence Wing chief Lieutenant Colonel
Abul Kalam Azad Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Husseini, Hussaini Azad (; 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian Indian independence movement, independence activist, Islamic theologian, writer and a senior leader of the ...
was killed in a bomb blast in
Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
while raiding an
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
hideout.


2018–2023

In May 2018, Squadron Leader Mohammad Rezaul Haque led a RAB unit in Cox's Bazar that Killed Ekramul Haque, Tekhnaf Munificipality councilor and Awami League leader in an alleged crossfire. His death was recorded as he had called his wife and she recorded the call which disproved RAB's claims. It resulted in the United States using the
Magnitsky Act The Magnitsky Act, formally known as the Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, is a bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in D ...
against seven former and current officers of RAB; the first usage against Bangladesh. RAB detained three business partners of Major General
Tarique Ahmed Siddique Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc is a retired major general of Bangladesh Army and the Defence and Security adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. Personal life Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique is the younger broth ...
, defence advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in January 2019. One of whom, retired Army captain Johirul Haque Khandaker, died eight months later in custody. Human Rights Watch described the detention the result of a business dispute. A cyber unit of RAB-3 identified
Ahmed Kabir Kishore Ahmed Kabir Kishore ( bn, আহমেদ কবির কিশোর; born 1974) is a Bangladeshi cartoonist. He was accused of drawing cartoons and held in pre-trial detention in Bangladesh under the country's infamous Digital Security Act for ...
, Mushtaq Ahmed, Didarul Bhuiyan, activist, and Minhaz Mannan Emon as targets for publishing cartoons critical of the government and charged under the
Digital Security Act The Digital Security Act, 2018 is a digital security law in Bangladesh. This act was passed with the aim of preventing the spread of racism; sectarianism; extremism; terrorist propaganda; and hatred against religious or ethnic minorities through soc ...
in May 2020. They had been victims of enforced disappearance before being officially detained. Ahmed died is custody where Kishore alleged they were tortured. In 2021,
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
released a documentary called ''
All the Prime Minister's Men ''All the Prime Minister's Men'' is a 2021 English investigative documentary on Bangladesh published by the Qatar-based international media Al Jazeera, alleging corruption against powerful political and military figures in Bangladesh. The documen ...
'' in which the brother of the then Chief of Army, General Aziz Ahmed, bragged about RAB as his personal gangsters and thugs who make money for him and them through detentions. In August 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ismail Hossain, air wing director, died after being injured in a helicopter crash. On 30 September, Director General of RAB, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, was promoted and appointed Inspector General of Bangladesh Police. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was under sanctions of the United States for human rights abuse.


Location

RAB also has 15 battalion size field units spread all over the country. Among them, 5 are located in the capital
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
. The units are located as follows: * RAB-HQ : Kurmitola, Dhaka * RAB-1 : Uttara, Dhaka * RAB-2 : Agargaon, Dhaka * RAB-3 : Tikatuli, Dhaka * RAB-4 :
Mirpur, Dhaka Mirpur ( bn, মীরপুর/মিরপুর) is a ''thana'' of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. It is bounded by Pallabi Thana to the north, Mohammadpur Thana to the south, Kafrul to the east, and Savar Upazila to the west. History Mirpur thana ...
* RAB-5 :
Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi District ...
* RAB-6 :
Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...
* RAB-7 :
Chattogram Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
* RAB-8 :
Barishal Barisal ( or ; bn, বরিশাল, ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal Dist ...
* RAB-9 :
Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
* RAB-10 : Jatrabari, Dhaka * RAB-11 :
Narayanganj Narayanganj ( bn, নারায়ণগঞ্জ ''Naraeongônj'') is a city in central Bangladesh. It is in the Narayanganj District, about southeast of the capital city of Dhaka, and has a population of about 2 million. It is the 6th larges ...
* RAB-12 :
Sirajganj Sirajganj ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ) is a city in north-western Bangladesh on the right bank of the Jamuna River. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirajganj District, and with a population of 167,200 is the fourteenth most populo ...
,
Tangail Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল, ), is a major city within the Dhaka Division in central Bangladesh. It sits on the bank of the Louhajang River, north-west of Dhaka, the nation's capital. It is considered to be the main urban area of ...
* RAB-13 : Rangpur * RAB-14 :
Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...
* RAB-15 :
Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...


Activities

Main activities and types of work done by RAB are: Counter-Terrorism: RAB apprehended numerous terrorism suspects during the course of their tenure. Anti drugs: RAB has been involved in the control of illegal substances such as
ya ba ''Ya ba'' ( th, ยาบ้า, lo, ຢາບ້າ, literally 'crazy medicine'), formerly known as ''yama'' ( th, ยาม้า; literally 'horse drug'), also known as "bikers' coffee" and "kamikaze", are tablets containing a mixture of met ...
,
phensedyl Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine, antipsychotic, sedative, and antiemetic used to treat allergies, insomnia, and nausea. It may also help with some symptoms associated with the common cold and may also be used for sedating people ...
and
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
. Emergency help: RAB provides immediate response for situations such as armed robbery and kidnappings. National common or annual needs: Many national needs are filled by RAB by providing extra duty during
Eid-ul-Fitr Eid al-Fitr (; ar, عيد الفطر, Eid al-Fiṭr, Holiday of Breaking the Fast, ) is the earlier of the two official Islamic holidays, holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha). The religious holiday is celebrated by Musli ...
, Puja, world Ijtema, and Akheri Munazat, among other events. They also contribute resources during elections, such as the Narayangonj City Corporation Election.


Ranks and insignia

Because RAB is composed of officers and troops from
Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement ...
and
Bangladesh Armed Forces The Bangladesh Armed Forces ( bn, বাংলাদেশ সশস্ত্র বাহিনী, Bangladesh Sashastra Bahinī) are the Armed forces, combined military forces of the Bangladesh, People's Republic of Bangladesh. It consists ...
, it was necessary to attribute a common rank insignia to the RAB badges. Such insignia can be seen in the illustrations below.


Notable arrests

The following is a table containing details of major arrests by the RAB according to their official website:


Criticisms

Although the RAB has been successful in apprehending several high-profile terrorists, including the infamous
Bangla Bhai Siddique ul-Islam ( bn, সিদ্দিকুল ইসলাম ''Siddikul Islam''), known popularly as Bangla Bhai (বাংলা ভাই "Bengali Brother") (1970 – 30 March 2007), also known as Jawad uddin attari ( bn, আজিজ ...
,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
has accused RAB of numerous deaths, which have been attributed to crossfire. In March 2010, the battalion leader claimed 622 deaths were due to 'crossfire', while some human rights organisations claimed that more than 1,000
extrajudicial killing An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
s were the product of the battalion. Further, there have been many reports of torture in connection with the battalion's activities.


Murders

Sixteen RAB-11 officials (sacked afterwards) including Lt Col (sacked)
Tareque Sayeed Lieutenant Colonel (Dismissed) Tareque Sayeed Mohammad is a former Bangladeshi Army officer who was convicted in the Murders of the Narayanganj Seven, Narayanganj Seven murder case. He was the commanding officer of Bangladesh elite force Rapid A ...
, Major (sacked) Arif Hossain, and Lt Commander (sacked) Masud Rana were given death penalty for abduction, murder, concealing the bodies, conspiracy and destroying evidences in the
Narayanganj Seven Murder Narayanganj Seven Murder was the enforced disappearance and murder of seven people including a panel-mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation and a lawyer in April 2014. 27 Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members, including three top RAB 11 officials, w ...
case. Another nine RAB-11 officials were awarded jail terms of 7 to 17 years in the same case.


Extrajudicial killings

According to
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
, members of Rapid Action Battalion have shot and killed women and children during public protests. Rights group describe it as a "
death squad A death squad is an armed group whose primary activity is carrying out extrajudicial killings or forced disappearances as part of political repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or revolutionary terror. Except in rare cases in which they are ...
." In 2017, a reporter from
Swedish Radio Sveriges Radio AB (, "Sweden's Radio") is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. Sveriges Radio is a public limited company, owned by an independent foundation, previously funded through a licensing fee, the level of which is ...
recorded a high-ranking RAB officer explaining how the RAB selects people to kill, and how it kills people. They kill people who they suspect of serious crimes but consider too difficult to convict in a trial or impossible to rehabilitate. He said, "If you find him - shoot and kill him, wherever he is. And then plant a weapon beside him." This officer says that people disappear this way every day, and that innocent people can disappear.


US Senators seeking sanction

On 27 October 2020, The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote a letter to the
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
and
United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
, urging them to impose sanctions on senior officials of the Rapid Action Battalion for human rights violations.


Framing incidents

Limon Hossain, a college student at Jamaddarhat at
Rajapur Upazila Rajapur ( bn, রাজাপুর) is an upazila (sub-district) of southern Bangladesh's Jhalokati District, part of the Barisal Division. Geography Rajapur is located at . It has 28,131 households and a total area of 164.33 km2. Histor ...
in
Jhalakati Jhalokati, also spelled Jhalokathi, ( bn, ঝালকাঠি) is a district in southern Bangladesh. It is located in the Barisal Division and covers an area of 758.06 km2 It is bounded by Barisal district to the north and east, Barguna dis ...
, was shot at by RAB personnel near his house on 23 March 2011, triggering a local and international outcry. His left leg had to be amputated as a result. The battalion filed two cases that day with the Rajapur police implicating Limon in an arms case and accusing him of obstructing police duties. The government finally decided to withdraw the cases against Limon on 9 July 2013, citing his need to return to a "healthy and normal life". Rapid Action Battalion is accused of framing a Bangladeshi expatriate named Shamim Sikder on false charges of drug and forged currency and torturing him in custody.


Enforced disappearances

Families of the victims and witnesses blamed RAB for picking up 83 people while detective branch for 38, ‘law enforcers’ for 55, and plainclothes men for 20 others reported between January 2007 and August 2014, according to a report by human rights organization Ain-o-Shalish Kendro (ASK). The report also said that at least 70 leaders and activists of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami fell victim to enforced disappearance while 37 others were activists of ruling Awami League. On 5 February 2012 approximately at 1.00 a.m. Al Mukaddas (22), a 4th-year student of the Department of Al Fiqah, and Mohammad Waliullah (23), a Masters candidate of Dawah and Islamic Studies Department of Islamic University, were allegedly arrested and disappeared by some persons who identified themselves as RAB-4 and DB Police members from Savar. Both were members of the Islamic student organization
Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবির), is an Islamic student organization based in Bangladesh. It was established on 15 February 1996. The organisation is generally under ...
and were allegedly detained by members of the RAB and the Detective Branch (DB) of the Bangladesh Police on 4 February 2012. They have not been heard from since and their whereabouts are unknown. The RAB has denied detaining the two men in a statement to a Bangladeshi newspaper. However, reports from several sources and a pattern of disappearances thought to have been conducted by RAB in recent months cast doubt on RAB's denial.


U.S. sanctions

On 10 December 2021, the
U.S. Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
added RAB to its
Specially Designated Nationals The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
(SDN) list under
GLOMAG The Magnitsky Act, formally known as the Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, is a bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in D ...
. Six individuals associated with RAB - including its Director General, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former DG Benazir Ahmed, ADG Colonel KM Azad were also sanctioned. Entities on the list have their assets blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them. Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen wrote an open letter to the US Secretariat of State Antony Blinken regarding RAB to reconsider those sanctions. On the others hand US Congressman and Chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory W Meeks has strongly supported those sanctions by the US Government and said that wholesale sanctions against Bangladesh were not necessary, but targeted sanctions were most useful.


References


Further reading

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External links

* {{Bangladesh topics Law enforcement in Bangladesh 2004 establishments in Bangladesh Organizations established in 2004 Law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh Rapid Action Battalion Counterterrorist organizations Counterterrorism in Bangladesh Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Magnitsky Act