The authorities of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have called back its 18-member from a battalion of the elite force to its headquarters on Monday for their controversial activities.Major Ali Ahsan, commander of Crime Prevention Company (CPC) of RAB-3, is among the 18 RAB men, according to a report appeared at the online news portal of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday. The report said Rab-3 and CPC-3 arrested four men from Comilla on Friday. The men were carrying Tk 200,000 but RAB’s report showed only Tk 60,000. The officers allegedly divided the rest of the money among themselves. A complaint filed by the family of the detainees about wrongful arrest by RAB and embezzlement of money led to an investigation that brought out the truth behind the incident.However, the RAB headquarters denied the allegation saying that withdrawal and transfer of officers is a regular part of the process.When asked, Mokhlesur Rahman, Director General of RAB denied the allegation of embezzlement saying that the transfer of the RAB men was a routine move.Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, Director of Legal and Media Wing of RAB, told the media yesterday that they were attached to the headquarters for “special reason”.The RAB was formed in 2004 with a view to combating militancy and serious crimes, has recently come under fire from various quarters at home and abroad following the allegations against of some of their members involved in both abductions and killings.The most gruesome abduction took place late last month in Narayanganj city.On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor and ward councillor Nazrul Islam and his four aides, along with lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were kidnapped separately but at the same time, after they came out of the court area. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhiya river days after the incident.Subsequently, Nazrul’s father-in-law Shahidul Islam alleged Narayanganj ward-4 Councillor Nur Hossain of bribing Rab men to kill Nazrul for Tk 6 crore.Following the allegations, three Rab officials — Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Major Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana — were forced into retirement.They have later been placed on remand after their arrest for their alleged link with the abduction and killings.Meanwhile, the RAB headquarters yesterday protested the news on RAB that carried out the DMP’s online news portal.Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman made the protest in a letter to the DMP on behalf of RAB DG Mokhlesur Rahman.Terming the news as motivated and false, the RAB in its protest letter said, such a ‘blatant lie’ of a law enforcing agency accusing another agency not only tarnish image of both agencies but also hamper working spitit and moral strength of their members.
