Rapid Action Battalion - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rapid Action Battalion or RAB is an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of Bangladesh Police

Bangladesh Police

The Bangladesh Police is the main law enforcement agency of Bangladesh. It is administered under the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and enforcement of law and order within the whole of Bangladesh...

constituted amending the Armed Police Battalion Ordinance, 1979. Under the command of Inspector General of Police (IGP) it consists of members of Bangladesh Police

Bangladesh Police

, Bangladesh Army

Bangladesh Army

The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...

, Bangladesh Navy

Bangladesh Navy

The Bangladesh Navy is the naval arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. At present the navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, however it is implementing an ambitious procurement and expansion program to ensure the security of Bangladesh's maritime boundary...

, Bangladesh Air Force

Bangladesh Air Force

The Bangladesh Air Force , is the air arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Air Force currently employs more than 22,000 personnel including 600+ Pilots.-History:...

, Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Ansar

Bangladesh Ansar

The Bangladesh Ansar is a disciplined force for the preservation of internal security and law enforcement in Bangladesh. It is administered by the Home Ministry of the Government of Bangladesh...

. It was formed on 26 March 2004 and started its operations from 14 April 2004. Additional Inspector General of Police Anwarul Iqbal

Anwarul Iqbal

Anwarul Iqbal, BPM , PPM is former and a very prominent Adviser of 2007-2009 interim Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. He was appointed as Local Government and Rural Development Minister & Labour Minister of the Non-party Interim Caretaker Government of Bangladesh on 17 January 2007 and remained...

is the founding Director General of this elite unit.

Since its inception, the RAB has seized a total of 3,149 illegal arms and more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition

Ammunition

Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

. It has also had over 500 arrests. Although the RAB has been successful in apprehending several high-profile terrorists, including the infamous Bangla Bhai

Bangla Bhai

Siddique ul-Islam , known popularly as Bangla Bhai , also known as Aziz ur-Rahman Azizur Rôhman, was a Bangladeshi terrorist and the military commander of the Al Qaeda affiliated radical pseudo-Islamist organization Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh , known in popular usage as...

, Amnesty International

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...

has accused RAB of lack of accountability for being responsible for numerous deaths which have been attributed to crossfire. In March, 2010, the battalion leader stated that they have killed 622 due to 'crossfire', while some human rights organizations claim that over 1,000 extrajudicial killings are the product of the battalion. There have also been many reports of torture.

Weapons

RAB members are better equipped and trained compared to the other units of the Police

Bangladesh Police

. The following weapons are standard issue for this unit:

Name	Type	Caliber
Browning M1911	Semi-automatic pistol	.45ACP
SIG Sauer P226(or P228 or P229)	Semi-automatic pistol	9mm
BD-08 Type 81 Assault Rifle The Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles in general looks...	Assault rifle Assault rifle An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...	7.62mm
Type 56	Assault rifle Assault rifle An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...	7.62mm
Heckler & Koch MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....	Submachine gun Submachine gun A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...	9mm
Uzi	Submachine gun Submachine gun A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...	9mm
Type 85	Sniper rifle Sniper rifle In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...	7.62mm
Remington 870 Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...	Semi-automatic shotgun Semi-automatic shotgun A semi-automatic shotgun is a form of shotgun that is able to fire a cartridge after every trigger squeeze, without any manual chambering of another round being required...	12gauge
Type 97-1	Semi-automatic shotgun Semi-automatic shotgun A semi-automatic shotgun is a form of shotgun that is able to fire a cartridge after every trigger squeeze, without any manual chambering of another round being required...	12gauge
Type 69-1 Type 69 RPG The Type 69 85mm rocket propelled grenade , made by Norinco, is a Chinese copy of the famous RPG-7 developed by the Soviet Union. First introduced in the early 1970s, the Type 69 RPG is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA...	Rocket-propelled grenade	40 mm

Also when employed for crowd control purpose RAB members use traditional weapons like baton

Baton (law enforcement)

A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...

s and taser

Taser

A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...

Intelligence Wing

Information Gathering
Undercover Surveillance
Counter Intelligence
Communication Interception (Networking)

Air Wing

Aerial Surveillance & Imaging
Search & Rescue
Aerial Patrol
Counter Terrorism Operations
Transport Operations

Admin & Finance Wing

Administration Section
Finance & Development Branch
Personnel & Discipline Branch
Health Unit
Central Workshop
Transport Unit

Training & Orientation Wing

Primary Training Course
Anti-Terrorism Course
Basic Intelligence Course
Basic Investigation Course
Primary Driving Course
Basic Computer Course

Location

RAB also has 12 battalion size field units spread all over the country. Among them 5 are located in the capital Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

. The units are located as follows:

RAB-1 : Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
RAB-2 : Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
RAB-3 : Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
RAB-4 : Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
RAB-5 : Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
RAB-6 : Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...
RAB-7 : Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
RAB-8 : Barisal
RAB-9 : Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
RAB-10 : Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
RAB-11 : Narayanganj
Narayanganj
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh...
RAB-12 : Sirajganj
Sirajganj
Sirajganj is a town in central Bangladesh, lying just west of the Brahmaputra River and about 70 mi. northwest of Dhaka.- Overview :...

Activities

Main activities and types of work done by RAB are:

Anti Counter terrorism
Rab contributed much in anti terrorism dept. All kind of terrorism has been stopped hard hand by RAB. Like: Included Shayokh Abdur Rahman, "Bnglavai" Mufti Hannan, many terrorists had been arrested by Rab.

Anti Drugs
Rab does much to stop Drugs. They searched for those illegal elements like Yaba, Phensidyle, Heroin, Foreign Drinks etc. and destroy them. This obey this duty successfully.

Emergency Help
Emergency help for any bad armed peopkle or group like Armed Snatcher or Robber are given by Rab timely.

National Common or annual needs
Many national needs are filled by Rab by extra duty for the occasion of EId Day, Puja

Puja

Pūjā or alternative transliteration Pooja, is a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests...

, world Ijtema and Akheri Munazat and many other things. They contributes much in many Elections. Example: Narayangonj City Corporation Election.

Notable arrests

Here is a table containing details of major arrests by the RAB according to their official website:

Name	Charge	Arrest	Source
Mufti Hannan	Assassination attempt of the then Leader of the Opposition and present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... , Mufti Hannan was a top leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad	1 October 2005	http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/oct/02/02102005ts.htm
Pichchi Hannan	Terrorism	26 June 2004, later killed trying to escape	http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/2005/10/31/city.htm
Debashis	Accomplice to Pichchi Hannan	killed in crossfire, 24 June 2004	http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/oct/01/01102005cr.htm
Mollah Shamim	10 cases including three of murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...	killed in crossfire, 6 September 2004	http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/09/07/d40907011715.htm
Shaheb Ali	Printing of Jihadi leaflets distributed during the 17 August 2005 Bombings 17 August 2005 Bangladesh bombings On 17 August 2005, around 500 bomb explosions occurred at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh. The bombs were exploded within a half hour period starting from 11:30 am. A terrorist organization, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh claimed responsibility for the bombings...	17 September 2005	http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/08/07/d4080701011.htm
Shahabuddin	Extortion	Killed 26 October 2004	http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/oct/26/26102004ts.htm
Syed Monir Hossain	Several criminal offences, including two murders	killed in crossfire, 11 March 2005	http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/03/12/d5031201108.htm
Shahjahan	5 charges including murder, rape and robbery	killed in crossfire, January 12, 2005	http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/12/12012005cr.htm
Rafiqul Islam	Suicide squad member, Narayanganj Narayanganj Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh... JMB Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen was a Islamist organisation operating in Bangladesh... commander	27 December 2005	http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/dec/28/28122005cr.htm
Sumon Ahmed Majumder	Extortion	killed "in crossfire" (see BBC article)	http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4522734.stm
Ekramul Haque	Islamic Militancy	December 2005	http://www.newagebd.com/2005/dec/04/nat.html
Hasibul	16 cases including 12 murder cases	26 January 2005, later killed attempting to escape	http://rantburg.com/index.php?D=1/31/2005

External links

Official website of Rapid Action Battalion
"Bangladesh's feared elite police," BBC Report
"Blast kills 'Bangladesh militant', BBC Report
"Top Bangladesh militant captured," BBC Report
"Bangladesh 'militant leader' held," BBC report
"'Top Bangladeshi militant' held," BBC Report
http://www.saag.org/papers12/paper1158.html"Getting Away With Murder: Politicisation of Crime in Bangladesh," SAAG
South Asia Analysis Group
South Asia Analysis Group is a non-profit think tank based in India which conducts public interest and advocacy work. The group consists of Indian academics and former government officials...

]
Fighting lawlessness with lawlessness (or) the rise & rise of the Rapid Action Battalion (Highly Critical)
LAWLESS LAW-ENFORCEMENT & THE PARODY OF JUDICIARY IN BANGLADESH (Highly Critical)
Perverted policing & meaningless magistrates: True stories from Bangladesh (Highly Critical)

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