Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) would no longer be the same force and its name is also likely to be changed.
“In a sense, RAB will no longer be the same and the name is likely to change,” he said at a press briefing at the Secretariat.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon raised the government’s activities in the first three month at the briefing arranged by the information ministry.
Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed was also present.
Zahed Ur Rahman said the government is working to formulate a new law for the operation of the elite force.
Noting that Rab has been operating under an option of the Armed Police Battalions Ordinance, he said a complete law is being formulated to run the elite force. “In the law, everything about RAB will be much more well-defined,” he said.
“So, the demand that BNP made for the abolition of RAB, in a sense, I repeat, in a sense, RAB will not exist as it is now and the name will probably change. I am saying this probably because the Honorable Home Minister announced such an option yesterday. And he also said that he is actively working to make this law," he said.
Talking about an issue discussed in the recent meeting between the Prime Minister and Editors’ Council, Zahed Ur Rahman said the current government won’t patronise the loan defaulters.
"This government will not patronise loan default issues. The looting that took place during Hasina's time was done with Sheikh Hasina's endorsement. Similarly, the use of RAB for serious human rights violations was done because of Sheikh Hasina," he said.
Zahed stressed the need for an elite force in the country to combat terrorism and major crimes.
“If we keep aside the criticism surrounding RAB, we can see that the force has effectively tackled various forms of terrorism and crime that the conventional police force could not manage to do so,” he said.
The PM’s Adviser said RAB has better equipment and advanced training, enabling it to address complex security challenges more effectively.
“An elite force will remain—whether under the name RAB or another name—and it will operate under a well-defined law. So, the risks and concerns associated with the force in the past will no longer remain,” he added.