Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to establish an independent body to investigate evidence that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been responsible for extra-judicial executions, disappearances, torture, and other serious abuses over many years.wBrad Adams, Asia Director of the New York-based rights organization (HRW), has made the call in an open letter to the PM on Wednesday. “The Prime Minister must now broaden the probe and create an independent process to ensure accountability for all cases, not just Narayanganj,” said Brad Adams.The rights organisation also reiterated its longstanding call that RAB be disbanded, and replaced with a fully accountable civilian law enforcement agency dedicated to fighting crime and terrorism.Following the abduction and apparent contract killings of seven people by members of Rapid Action Battalion and other security forces in Narayanganj, the State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan announced that the Prime Minister had ordered to ensure that all those responsible are found and punished, regardless of their positions.The High Court, acting on its own motion, directed that any investigation into the killings be conducted by a specially constituted body independent of the security forces, and issued an arrest warrant against three RAB officers to be tried before civilian courts. “After years of refusing to investigate RAB, the government has changed course and reacted quickly to the Narayanganj murders,” said Brad Adams. “This is welcome and hopefully marks a shift away from years of impunity for RAB and other security forces,” he added.The rights organisation has long documented RAB responsibility for extrajudicial killings and torture, it said.
