Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday passed two bills to dissolve the Rapid Action Battalion and establish a new Special Response Battalion, while expanding the investigative powers of the Armed Police Battalions, despite strong opposition from opposition lawmakers.
Home minister Salahuddin Ahmed placed the bills before Jatiya Sangsad, which passed them by voice vote.
The two bills were initially tabled on September 3 and were later examined by the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry.
The committee’s report included notes of dissent from opposition members.
Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman opposed the move to dissolve RAB and establish the SRB, saying that creating a similar force under a new name would not meet the expectations of the people or the international community.
Opposition members of the standing committee raised seven major objections, arguing that the bill did not provide for RAB to be abolished first and a new force to be established separately.
Instead, Section 27(3) of the bill provides for the direct transfer of RAB’s manpower, establishments, powers, records, property, contracts and liabilities to the SRB.
They warned that foreign governments could view the SRB as a continuation of RAB unless substantial changes were made to its rules.
Responding to the objections, Salahuddin said that RAB would be dissolved once the law was passed and the SRB would subsequently be raised as a new battalion, insisting that the two forces had no institutional connection.
He said that RAB’s weapons, equipment, intelligence assets and other state property would be transferred to the SRB to prevent wastage of public resources. The government would reuse and, where necessary, upgrade existing assets instead of procuring new equipment, he said.
On concerns over RAB records, he said that their transfer was a procedural matter and would be carried out according to the rules.
The minister also rejected the argument that the SRB was simply RAB under a new name, saying the new force was being established to meet the operational needs of the state and the changing demands of society.
The APBn Bill repeals the Armed Police Battalions Ordinance, 1979, replacing it with a Bangla-language legal framework and removing provisions relating to RAB.
The law allows the APBn to maintain detention cells, barracks and interrogation centres for investigative purposes.
The force will operate under an additional inspector general of police, subject to the overall supervision of the inspector general. A cyber cell and a research unit will be established at APBn headquarters.
