The United Nations and various human rights organizations have been advocating for the disbandment of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), but the government has opted to rebrand it. The force will now be known as Special Intervention Force (SIF).
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury confirmed this decision, stating that the chief adviser has given approval, and a government order will follow soon. The announcement came after a meeting of the law-and-order core committee at the home ministry, where it was disclosed that the force’s name change would be accompanied by a new uniform.
The adviser highlighted the evolving operational standards of the force over time, emphasizing the significant improvements in their performance. He mentioned that the decision to rename the force was part of a broader transformation reflecting these changes.
RAB was established on March 26, 2004, amidst growing militancy and deteriorating law and order under the BNP-led four-party alliance government. In December 2021, the US imposed sanctions on RAB and some of its past and present officials due to serious human rights violation allegations, leading to a decrease in the controversial “crossfire” incidents.
Despite calls for abolition from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, following alleged human rights violations during the 2024 student movement, the interim government opted to rebrand RAB after 22 years of its formation.
During a press briefing, concerns raised by Transparency International Bangladesh about the handling of unruly groups potentially impacting the upcoming election were acknowledged. The home adviser assured that the police morale and efficiency had improved, ensuring no hindrances in conducting the election.
Brig Gen Mohammad Ali Haidar Siddiqui, director general of Armed Forces Division (operations and plans), reported that joint forces had seized 199 weapons and arrested 1,807 individuals since the election schedule announcement. A total of 106,223 personnel from the three services had been deployed nationwide to maintain security.
Regarding the recovered weapons, Haidar mentioned that 4,432 firearms missing from police and RAB, along with other weapons, had been retrieved. He also stated that a significant number of illegal arms had been recovered since September, totaling 7,731 weapons.
