Rapid Action Battalion
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2004–present |
| Headquarters | Kurmitola, Dhaka |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Bangladesh Police |
| Website | www |
Rapid Action Battalion or RAB is an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police. It consists of members of the Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Ansar. It was formed on 26 March 2004, and commenced operations on 14 April 2004.
Since its inception, the RAB has seized a total of 3,149 illegal arms and more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and has made more than 500 arrests.
RAB also has 14 battalion size field units spread all over the country. Among them, 5 are located in the capital Dhaka. The units are located as follows:
Main activities and types of work done by RAB are:
Counter-Terrorism RAB apprehended numerous terrorism suspects during the course of their tenure.
Anti drugs RAB has been involved in the control of illegal substances such as Yaba, Phensidyle and Heroin.
Emergency help RAB provides immediate response for situations such as armed robbery and kidnappings.
National common or annual needs Many national needs are filled by RAB by providing extra duty during Eid-ul-Fitr, Puja, world Ijtema and Akheri Munazat, among other events. They also contribute resources during elections, such as the Narayangonj City Corporation Election.
Because RAB is composed of officers and troops from Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Armed Forces, it was necessary to attribute a common rank insignia to the RAB badges. Such insignia can be seen in the illustrations below.
The following is a table containing details of major arrests by the RAB according to their official website:
Although the RAB has been successful in apprehending several high-profile terrorists, including the infamous Bangla Bhai, Human Rights Watch has accused RAB of numerous deaths, which have been attributed to crossfire. In March 2010, the battalion leader claimed 622 deaths were due to 'crossfire', while some human rights organisations claimed that more than 1,000 extrajudicial killings were the product of the battalion. Further, there have been many reports of torture in connection with the battalion's activities.
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Wikipedia