RAB to be replaced by SRB as bill tabled in parliament

The government has moved to abolish the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and replace it with a new specialised force named the Special Response Battalion (SRB).

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed placed the Special Response Battalion Bill, 2026 in Parliament on Thursday.

The bill was subsequently sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs for scrutiny, with the committee asked to submit its report within four working days.

Under the proposed law, RAB’s existing legal framework would be repealed and the SRB would be established as a specialised unit under the Bangladesh Police.

All RAB personnel, powers, assets, funds, records and other resources would be transferred to the new force.

The government said the move is in line with its election manifesto and public expectations.

However, opposition lawmakers objected to the bill’s immediate introduction, arguing that replacing RAB with another force could amount to creating a similar institution under a different name.

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam called for a broader discussion before the proposed law is finalised.