Rapid Action Battalion or RAB is an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of Bangladesh Police 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 Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Ansar. It was formed on 26 March 2004 and started its operations from 14 April 2004. Additional Inspector General of Police Anwarul Iqbal 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. It has also had over 500 arrests. Although the RAB has been successful in apprehending several high-profile terrorists, including the infamous Bangla Bhai, Amnesty International 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.
Read more about Rapid Action Battalion: Rank Insignia, Location, Activities, Notable Arrests, See Also
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