Please - Odhikar

through a Government Order issued on 1 March 2005 in accordance with the Armed Police
Battalions (Amendment) Act, 2003 and came into operation on 21 June 2004.
Those who have been recruited into RAB are members of the armed forces, the police, and the
paramilitary groups of the Bangladesh Rifles and Ansars (auxiliary forces). Currently, RAB is
active almost all over the country under seven administrative units of the Battalion. It can
investigate and work for all security purposes, especially as an elite law and order enforcement
agency, which is to have a special focus on curbing organized crime and eliminating ’top’ or
most-wanted criminals. Since its formation, a culture of "death in crossfire" has been created;
this is the means by which many deaths at the hands of RAB are justified. However, there are
alarming number reports of deaths in RAB custody and, on reading the circumstances behind the
deaths, some of these can be interpreted as being political.
Thus, we have a new security agency that has even more power than the police force and that
has been given the power to shoot criminals without trial. In an already corrupt political arena,
one can only be apprehensive about the use (and abuse) of the powers given to RAB. In
addition, Cheetah and Cobra were formed as special units of the detective branch of the police
force, and they also enjoy a lot of liberty in the case of arresting people.
It is openly accepted in Bangladesh that the police force is a highly corrupt, politically motivated
institution. Unfortunately, the miseries of people may be compounded with the introduction of
RAB and other specially created security forces, that are now beginning to committed wide
spread human rights abuses. Initially, people were somewhat relieved with the creation of RAB,
as they saw it as a force to monitor and control the police activities and make effective arrests of
criminals. However, as time went on, allegations of bribery and corruption among RAB officers
came to light, as well as the continuous killing of innocent people in ’cross-fires’.
If we look at the first year of activity for RAB, what do we see? RAB was formed with the
mission of containing crime and improving the deteriorating law and order situation with
sweeping powers. When it went into operation first, there was a sense of uneasiness and
discomfort prevailing in the society and everybody wanted effective containment of the rising
curve of lawlessness. In the backdrop of the raising corruption among regular police force and
their failure in addressing the increasing number of crimes, there was the felt need to form a
special elite force to check the trend. Initially due to RAB operations and killing of some
notorious criminals, there were some marked improvements in law and order situation.
However, the deaths of people in so-called ’crossfire’ with RAB without reference to any trial or
going through a regular judicial processes, has raised questions among human rights activities
and social thinkers. Between January and October 2005, there have been reports of 87 people
killed by RAB and labelled as people caught in ’cross-fire’. The statements issued by RAB after
each such death has had a surprisingly identical tone and content.
Thus, the credibility of what were claimed to be crossfire casualties has never been above
question. The deaths were seen as extra-judicial killings in the absence of any proof to the
contrary. Regrettably, what has happened is patently antithetical to norms of civility, the rule of
law and the constitutional principles guaranteeing the citizens’ right to justice, even if those who
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Report 2005