United News of Bangladesh

Newly appointed Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Md Ahsan Habib Palash on Sunday said the force has not yet received any request from the International Crimes Tribunal regarding allegations of enforced disappearances and crossfire incidents but pledged full cooperation if approached. Any request related to judicial proceedings would be duly honoured, he said a media briefing at the RAB Media Centre in the capital’s Karwan Bazar. Responding to a question about the Chief Prosecutor’s remarks on summoning and examining RAB’s crossfire records, the DG said, “If any cooperation is sought in relation to the judicial process, RAB will provide it. We will share whatever information we have and if any information is unavailable, we will inform accordingly. However, the tribunal has not yet contacted us.” On reported domestic and international calls for disbanding RAB, he said such decisions lie with the government. “RAB’s responsibility is to carry out its assigned duties properly and build public trust through its work,” he added. Addressing allegations that the force was used for political purposes in the past, the DG said recent activities suggest a decline in major irregularities. “If managed properly, RAB can play a constructive role,” he said. On tackling piracy and separatism, he said intelligence surveillance has been strengthened and operations are being conducted based on gathered information. Without directly commenting on militancy, he said RAB continues to work against all forms of terrorism and will maintain that effort in the future. Expressing concern over the rise of juvenile gangs, he said the problem is increasing across the country. “Police and RAB are working jointly, but bringing juveniles under the law often remains challenging,” he noted, urging journalists to support efforts through investigative reporting. Regarding the possible renaming or restructuring of RAB, he said it is entirely a policy matter for the government. “Our priority is to perform our duties. Internal investigations into allegations of human rights violations are ongoing, and no one will be spared,” he said. On US sanctions, the DG acknowledged that the situation stemmed from past shortcomings. “If those are addressed, we hope such sanctions will not continue in future,” he added.