Parliamentary committee approves bill to replace RAB with Special Response Battalion
Home ministry committee recommends placing the SRB Bill, 2026 before parliament after incorporating necessary amendments.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs today (8 September) approved the proposal to dissolve the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and establish a new force, the Special Response Battalion (SRB).
The committee recommended that the Special Response Battalion (SRB) Bill, 2026 be placed before parliament after incorporating necessary amendments.
The decision was taken at the fourth meeting of the standing committee of the 13th Parliament at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat.
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The meeting was chaired by committee chairman Zainul Abedin.
The committee examined different sections and subsections of the proposed bill in detail. Following extensive discussions, members agreed to recommend placing the bill before parliament after making the necessary amendments, the release said.
Committee seeks safeguards against misuse of new force
The meeting also discussed past instances in which RAB and other law enforcement agencies were allegedly misused for political and personal interests.
Committee members said abolishing an entire force could not be considered an adequate solution simply because it had been misused in the past.
Instead, they stressed the need to make effective use of the existing force's trained personnel, infrastructure and equipment in the national interest.
They also called for stronger training, professionalism, transparency and accountability within the new or restructured force.
Law enforcement praised for handling of long march
The committee also praised law enforcement agencies for what it described as their responsible role during the opposition's recent Dhaka-Chattogram long march.
Members stressed that law enforcement agencies should maintain such an approach to help preserve a peaceful political environment, according to the release.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, Parliament Whip Rakibul Islam and committee members Md Kamruzzaman, Md Monwar Hossain, Shirin Sultana, Md Nurul Islam and Md Abdul Baten attended the meeting.
The home ministry's senior secretary, inspector general of police, directors general of departments under the ministry, heads of various service agencies and senior officials of the parliament secretariat were also present.
