RFK Human Rights urges Bangladesh to disband RAB, implement sweeping security reforms

Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Human Rights has called on Bangladesh's Interim Government to urgently implement comprehensive security sector reforms, disband the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and establish robust accountability mechanisms to address decades of enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.

The recommendations come after the rights group, led by Kerry Kennedy, visited the RAB-1 compound in Dhaka in May, where the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) cell – a secret detention site – operated for years. The visit was guided by Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem (Arman), a lawyer who spent eight years in solitary confinement there after being abducted in 2016. 

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, formed in August 2024, has since identified at least 16 such sites and received over 1,830 complaints of enforced disappearance.

"With limited time before the 2026 elections, the Interim Government must urgently ensure justice in line with international standards and pursue security sector reform," RFK Human Rights said in its statement.

Key Recommendations

The group urged Bangladesh to enact a comprehensive witness and victim protection law, dismiss politically motivated cases against victims, and ensure inclusive consultation processes so survivors can participate without fear. 

The Commission's mandate, extended until December 2025, should continue beyond that date if necessary, it added, stressing the need for adequate staffing and resources.

RFK Human Rights welcomed Bangladesh's decision to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture but called for the accession process to be finalised. It also urged revisions to the draft ordinance on enforced disappearance following robust public consultations to ensure compliance with international norms.

"Without broader security sector reform, and while perpetrators remain in their positions, there is little chance for comprehensive and meaningful transitional justice," the report warned. 

It called for the full disbandment of RAB, citing its "deep culture of impunity" and role in thousands of disappearances and killings. 

According to experts from the UN Working Group of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, who recently visited Bangladesh, victims expressed worry that those involved in crimes still hold positions in security forces and may be present in the buildings where they are asked to provide testimony. 

The Working Group experts also stated concerns that the Army is not cooperating with investigations, and some high-profile members of the armed forces under arrest warrants were allowed to abscond abroad. Both the ICT and Commission members face threats for their work and operate under resource and staffing constraints.

The organisation also recommended removing all military personnel from civilian law enforcement and strictly limiting the DGFI's authority to military intelligence functions, in line with recent UN Working Group guidance.

Additionally, RFK Human Rights pressed for independent vetting of all security forces to eliminate abusers from their posts and urged the suspension of any officers facing credible allegations from UN peacekeeping missions. 

"Rigorous vetting processes are essential to restore public trust," the group noted.

Stressing the need for cooperation, it called on security forces to provide unfettered access to all detention sites and records, and participate in good faith with investigations.

Victims and their families, the group stressed, are still "desperately seeking truth and accountability" for crimes committed under Sheikh Hasina's government over the last 15 years. 

"The Interim Government should urgently implement these recommendations to ensure meaningful redress and prevent future abuses," RFK Human Rights concluded.