Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh home minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday said the government is formulating a new law to ensure accountability and transparency of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), while considering whether to rename or restructure the elite force.
Speaking at RAB’s 22nd founding anniversary at its Kurmitola headquarters, he said, “We hope RAB will conduct all its operations while fully upholding human rights in the days ahead.”
“We have taken an initiative to enact a new law. Under that law, a force will exist as an elite unit. Whether RAB will be renamed or whether an entirely new elite force will be formed – the government is still considering that,” he said.
“Whatever the structure, accountability, transparency and responsibility will be ensured for the elite force. There will be authority, and there will be responsibility. Their duties will be defined and accountability will be ensured within the same law,” he added.
Ahmed said a committee of experts is drafting the law, noting RAB currently operates under provisions of the Armed Police Battalion. “It has been running on an ad hoc basis for a long time, which is not appropriate. We will now enact a separate law for the elite force,” he said, adding, “The time has not yet come to go into detail. An elite force will certainly be needed to ensure public safety in line with people’s expectations.”
On US sanctions, he said RAB as an institution “has been damaged due to the actions of certain officials.” “Under the erstwhile fascist regime, there was no state institution that was not damaged. The police, army, RAB and BGB, all were affected. But it must be remembered that an institution cannot bear the responsibility for the actions of a few officials.”
“If some officials go astray, they are personally liable; the institution is not,” he said, adding the government has directed that responsible officials be held accountable under institutional laws.
Referring to sanctions, he said RAB was involved in certain activities and the “fascist government” of Sheikh Hasina used it as a political instrument. “Many institutions were used in this way to establish one-party rule. That is why the sanctions were imposed, which are still in place.”
“If we now form or restructure the elite force afresh, there is hope that they may reconsider the matter. Much remains to be done… we shall see,” he added.
Asked about safeguards against political misuse, Ahmed said, “The current government has been in office for three months. Has RAB, the police or any other force been used for political purposes so far? So, morning shows the day.”
On BNP leader Ilias Ali’s disappearance, he said, “The strongest judicial framework lies within the ICT law. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances had certain limitations; punitive measures were not clearly defined there.”
“If necessary amendments are brought to the ICT law, all types of enforced disappearance cases can be tried under it. There were certain legal limitations, and we are working on those as well,” he added.