Are Bangladesh’s “Men In Black” Fighting Crime or Killing for Money

Bangladesh’s controversial, elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),have been accused of extortion, extra-judicial killings and even assassination against payment. Are the country’s ‘men in black’ essentially an effective, super group of law enforcers or have they metamorphosed into an elite force of mercenaries?

Drawing personnel from the police and the military, the RAB was formed in 2004 to combat the rising crime graph in the country. It was soon dubbed the elite force of Bangladesh. However, over the years, it has become controversial, being stalked by allegations of human rights violations. In a recent high profile abduction and killing of seven men, RAB members were accused [bn] and three RAB officials, officers from the armed forces of Bangladesh, were sacked and detained in this connection. In a separate incident nine RAB members were sued for torture and killing of a businessman. In another recent case, a court in Brahmanbaria, a district in east-central Bangladesh, has ordered the police to accept a case of murder against RAB personnel.

Read more: globalvoicesonline.org Written by পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)