RAB dissolution will not halt ongoing cases against personnel: Legal and Media Wing director
RAB recovered 104 firearms and arrested 60 people nationwide over the past month.
Ongoing judicial proceedings against members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will continue under existing laws even after the elite force is dissolved and replaced, according to a senior RAB official.
The draft law proposed for the dissolution of RAB contains provisions to ensure that ongoing proceedings against its personnel are not affected by the transition, RAB's Legal and Media Wing Director Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury said at a press conference at the RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar today (20 August).
The draft law has been published on the Ministry of Home Affairs' website for public feedback, he said.
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According to the official, the proposed legislation states that proceedings against RAB personnel that are already underway will continue under the existing legal framework.
"Regarding past allegations against RAB, cases were filed and investigations were conducted into those incidents.
All pending matters are currently being handled fairly, and RAB is extending full cooperation to the judiciary by providing necessary information and evidence," Intekhab Chowdhury said.
"We stand with truth and justice. We are making every effort to comply with the instructions issued by the government and the judiciary," he added.
RAB to be replaced by SRB
The government has initiated a process to dissolve RAB and establish a specialised unit, the Special Response Battalion (SRB), under the Bangladesh Police.
Asked about the operational transition and future structure of the new force, Intekhab Chowdhury said these matters would depend entirely on government decisions.
He said the proposed legislation would provide the legal framework for the transition and mark a new chapter for the force.
104 firearms recovered in a month
Intekhab Chowdhury said RAB had recovered 104 firearms during operations across the country over the past month and arrested 60 people in connection with the incidents.
Of the recovered weapons, 65 were locally made firearms and 39 were foreign-made, he said.
RAB would continue its operations to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, ensure public safety, prevent crime and bring offenders to justice, he added.
Asked whether RAB would issue a formal apology for its past actions, the official said former RAB Director General Sahidur Rahman had already apologised to the nation on behalf of the force following the July Uprising.
He said the apology had addressed the public expectation regarding the force's past actions.
