The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has proposed abolishing the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as part of a broader set of recommendations for police reform submitted to the government’s police reform committee. 

Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, BNP Standing Committee member and head of the BNP Police Reform Committee, announced these recommendations during a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Tuesday morning (December 10). 

Despite not being officially asked for input, the BNP underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to modernize and enhance the police force.

Hafiz Uddin said that the BNP's recommendations call for the creation of a Police Commission to provide strategic guidance and support to the force. This commission would consist of members from the ruling and opposition parties, legal and academic experts, prominent citizens, and senior police and government officials, with a retired Supreme Court judge acting as chairperson during an interim period if Parliament is not in session. 

The proposed reforms also include establishing citizen committees at the upazila and thana levels to foster better police-community relations, curb crime, and maintain law and order locally.

Highlighting widespread criticism of RAB both domestically and internationally, the BNP underscored the force’s alleged involvement in disappearances, murders, torture, and other human rights violations, which have led to US sanctions. 

The party argues that RAB’s controversial record, combined with opposition from human rights organizations and political parties, warrants its dissolution. 

The BNP suggests reallocating RAB's responsibilities to the Armed Police Battalion and thana police, ensuring these functions are carried out effectively under a reformed system.

BDST: 1412 HRS, DEC 10, 2024
SMS