Bangladesh Government to Replace Rapid Action Battalion with Special Response Battalion While Retaining Existing Structure and Powers

The Bangladeshi government has moved to replace the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)—a force frequently accused of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the operation of secret detention centers—with a new specialized unit called the Special Response Battalion (SRB).

During a cabinet meeting on Monday, officials granted policy-level and final approval for the ‘Special Response Battalion (SRB) Act, 2026.’ According to government statements, the move entails the formal dissolution of RAB in favor of the SRB, which will operate under the Bangladesh Police.

Despite the rebranding, a review of the draft legislation reveals that the new entity will retain the structural continuity of its predecessor. The SRB will inherit all of RAB’s current personnel, assets, funding, databases, and existing legal obligations, including ongoing litigation. The unit will maintain sweeping powers, including the authority to conduct criminal investigations, searches, and arrests. Furthermore, the draft law permits the SRB to maintain its own detention facilities, property storage rooms, and interrogation chambers.

The decision to retain the core structure of RAB has drawn criticism from human rights activists and legal experts, who note that the move contradicts recommendations from the United Nations and the Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances, which had advocated for the total abolition of the force. The United States imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its current and former commanders in December 2021 citing severe human rights abuses. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had also publicly demanded the force’s disbandment in December 2024, arguing that reform was insufficient.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan defended the creation of the SRB, stating that the new unit is necessary for state security to combat modern threats such as cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime. He emphasized that the new law includes mechanisms for oversight, including a committee to address citizens’ grievances and internal complaints, which he claimed was a significant departure from the lack of accountability seen under the previous administration.

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Legal experts remain skeptical. Human rights activist Nur Khan criticized the draft, noting that because the committee overseeing complaints will be composed largely of government and police officials, its independence remains questionable. He argued that retaining the old structural framework, particularly the ability to deploy military personnel alongside police, does not address the fundamental issues of professionalism and human rights.

Although the SRB will function as a specialized unit of the police led by an Additional Inspector General, the draft law explicitly allows for the temporary deputation of personnel from the armed forces—a point of contention for rights groups. Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, who chaired the Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances, stated that military personnel should not be integrated into civilian law enforcement units, as it complicates command structures and compromises the professionalism of the armed forces when abuses occur.

The draft law also grants the SRB power to enter premises and arrest suspects without a warrant under specific circumstances. While the law mandates that detainees be transferred to local police stations “without delay,” it simultaneously authorizes the SRB to hold suspects in its own detention and interrogation cells, creating potential regulatory ambiguity regarding custody and potential abuse.

As the government prepares to transition from RAB to SRB, the lack of explicit provisions regarding independent oversight, CCTV monitoring, and legal access for detainees in the draft has fueled concerns that the new unit could mirror the patterns of its predecessor.