A written complain in this regard by the RAB Director General to the Home Ministry forced the police headquarters to issue the instruction.
The police headquarters in its directives asked the unit chiefs of police to take immediate steps to resolve the ongoing conflicts and rivalry between the police and RAB.
It also advices police not to treat RAB as their ‘rivals,’ rather they should work on the basis of ‘brotherhood’ with RAB and warned that any unprofessional attitude by police will be dealt with stern action.
“Unprofessional behaviour will also be recorded in the officers’ secret register (SR). It would later reflect negatively on their promotion and other facilities in future,” the HQ warned.
The police headquarters in its instructions also asked the field level police officers not to attack anyone during their duty and not to misbehave with on duty RAB officials.
“Work with RAB by treating them as colleagues not rivals, wear uniform while on-duty, settle all confusions, if arise, by holding meetings. If any misconduct occurred with any RAB official, the unit chief must investigate.
Every incident of misconduct should be recorded. The Police HQ should be informed into such incidences for necessary actions. Field officials should take pictures if any law enforcement agency official is found involved in wrongdoings and inform their superiors,” according to the Police HQ.
When contacted, several police unit chiefs in Dhaka confirmed the police headquarters’ instructions to The New Nation on Wednesday.
The elite force chief in his letter complained to the Home Ministry of police excesses against its members, saying the prevailing situation is so tense that it might go out of hand anytime soon.
“Police on several occasions assaulted RAB personnel even after knowing the identities of the elite force members. In some cases, police hit RAB members with sticks and even rifles,” reads the letter from RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed to Senior Home Secretary Mozammel Haque Khan.
The letter attached a list of six such incidents which sent to the Home Secretary on September 27.
