Rab
Is US unhappy over curbing terrorism by RAB: PM questions sanctions on the force
In once again denouncing the US sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday questioned the motive behind Washington’s move.
The prime minister lauded the role of the elite force in curbing terrorism in the country.
“We’ve curbed terrorism with them in this country. What does the imposition of sanction on them mean? (Is it) to support the terrorists?” My question is whether the USA is dissatisfied for curbing terrorism,” she said.
The premier said in replying to a question at a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganobhaban on the outcome of her recent official visit to the UK and the USA.
Sheikh Hasina said the RAB was formed at the recommendation of the USA. The USA provides them (its personnel) with everything including training, arms, helicopter, and even digital system and ICT system.
“When the USA imposes sanctions, raises any word or allegation, I would like to say one word that they (RAB) have conducted their activities as per the training they received,” she said.
“Had your training been good one to some extent, it would have bee right. What do we have to do here?” said the PM.
She said if any member of the law enforcement agencies including RAB and Police commits any offense, the person is tried here in Bangladesh. But if US police kill anyone as per whim, they (police members) are not always tried there, she said, adding that only one incident was tried when the USA people waged a movement against it.
She said they (the US police) gun down people for a trivial matter. They kill a minor child just for keeping their hands in the pockets or carrying toy pistols, she said, adding that the US says nothing about how many Bengalis were killed there.
“I told them these things clearly. I didn’t sit idle,” said Hasina.
The US sanctioned RAB and seven of its serving and former officials in December last year accusing the force of grave violation of human rights, an allegation Dhaka has vehemently denied
4 youths, among 7 arrested, members of new militant group: Rab
Four youths, among the seven arrested, had left their homes to join the newly formed militant group ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’, Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s Legal and Media Wing, has said.
Some leaders and activists of banned militant groups including Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar Al Islam, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) formed the new group, he said.
Read:Rab arrests 7 including 4 with suspected ties to radical groups
The Rab official disclosed the information at a media briefing on Thursday in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar over the arrest of seven people, including four who went missing from their homes in Cumilla and elsewhere with suspected ties to radical groups.
The arrestees were identified as: Hossain Ahmed, 33, son of Maulana Abu Taher, Nesar Uddin alias Umayer, 34, son of Matier Rahman, Bani Amin, 27, son of Delwar Hossain, and Md Sabit, 19, son of Hasan Mir — all from Patuakhali district; Imtiaz Ahmed Rifat, 19, son of Foyez Ahmed, and Hasibul Islam, 20, son of Shahab Uddin from Cumilla; and Roman Shikdar, 24, son of Anis Shikdar of Gopalganj.
Tipped off, a team of Rab-11 conducted separate drives in Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Mymensingh districts and arrested them.
The elite force also seized some leaflets, books on radical views and a tab from the arrestees, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin said.
According to arrestee Hossain Ahmed’s statement, who used to teach at a madrasa in Patuakhali, the activities of this new militant group started in 2017 – by merging some members from various banned militant outfits, said the Rab official.
“In 2019, ‘Jamatul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqiya’ (Jamatul Ansar of Eastern Hind) was formed. Some leaders and activists of banned militant groups of Bangladesh including Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar Al Islam and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), joined in to start the activities of this new militant group,” he added.
Hossain was in charge of recruiting and supervising members for this new militant outfit.
Based on Bani Amin’s information, Rab arrested Nesar from Dhaka-Mymensingh highway area. Nesar was a scientific officer in a government institution in Bhola and got involved in militant activities before 2019.
Read: 7 young men missing from Cumilla since Aug 23
Hossain, Rifat, Hasib, Roman, and Sabit were arrested from Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj following Nesar’s information, said the Rab Commander.
During primary interrogation, the arrestees revealed that Hasib and Rifat came to know about the organisation from Habibullah, imam of Koba Mosque in Cumilla, a year ago. Later, Habibullah inspired them to get involved in extremist activities.
Rifat was a first year honours student of Economics in Cumilla and Hasib was a higher secondary student there. They went missing on August 23.
Commander Moin said Roman got involved in extremism and remained missing for the last 40 days while Sabit disappeared from Patuakhali two months ago.
“Among the eight young men who had gone missing from Cumilla, Sartaz Islam Niloy, 22, returned to his Kalyanpur home on September 1 and later Rab took him into custody. Following interrogation, Rab came to know details on others,” he said.
They were trained in char areas in Bhola and Patuakhali districts and so far, 15-20 people have joined the new group, said Moin.
Seven students, aged 17-25, belonging to different institutions in Cumilla have been missing since August 23. They all knew each other, and left home without their mobile phones. A general diary was lodged with Kotwali Model Police in this regard.
After that, reports came to light of seven more youths missing from Patuakhali, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gopalganj for two to three months under similar circumstances.
Besides, four youths from Sylhet have been missing since 15 November last year.
Rab arrests 7 including 4 with suspected ties to radical groups
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has arrested seven people, including four who went missing from their homes in Cumilla and elsewhere with suspected ties to radical groups, during raids in and around Dhaka.
The arrestees were identified as: Hossain Ahmed, 33, son of Maulana Abu Taher, Nesar Uddin alias Umayer, 34, son of Matier Rahman, Bani Amin, 27, son of Delwar Hossain, and Md Sabit, 19, son of Hasan Mir — all from Patuakhali district; Imtiaz Ahmed rifat, 19, son of Foyez Ahmed, and Hasibul Islam, 20, son of Shahab Uddin from Cumilla; and Roman Shikdar, 24, son of Anis Shikdar of Gopalganj.
Tipped off, a team of Rab-11 conducted separate drives in Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Mymensingh districts and arrested them.
Also read: 7 young men missing from Cumilla since Aug 23
The elite force also seized some leaflets, books on radical views and a tab from the arrestees, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s legal and Media Wing, while briefing reporters in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar.
“Among the eight young men missing from Cumilla, Sartaz Islam Niloy, 22, returned to his Kalyanpur home on Septmeber 1 and later Rab took him into custody. Following interrogation, Rab came to know details on others,” he said.
“Four students left their homes to join the new militant group ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharkia’, formed by banned militant groups Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar Al Islam and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B),” he added.
They were trained in char areas in Bhola and Patuakhali districts and so far 15-20 people have joined the new group, said Moin.
Seven students, aged 17-25, belonging to different institutions in Cumilla have been missing since August 23. They all knew each other, and left home without their mobile phones. A general diary was lodged with Kotwali Model Police in this regard.
After that, reports came to light of seven more youths missing from Patuakhali, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gopalganj for two to three months under similar circumstances.
Besides, four youths from Sylhet have been missing since 15 November last year.
No security lapses for Durga Puja: Rab DG
Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure security for the celebration of Durga Puja without any trouble, said newly-appointed Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) M Khurshid Hossain on Monday.
“We are doing cyber monitoring. Intelligence surveillance has become greater than any time before,” he said after inspecting the security measures of the Puja Mandap at Banani in Dhaka.
He said there was no specific threat from any quarters despite reports that 50 to 60 young men have remained missing while intelligence officials suspect that they have joined radical groups.
Read: Keep vigil against vandalism during Durga Puja: Obaidul Quader asks AL members
“No matter how smart they are, they will not succeed,” he said adding that security officials are monitoring the activities of the missing young men who left their homes and remained traceless.
“At the end of the puja, we wish to see some good results. We are working on it,” he said.
Rab has reinforced intelligence surveillance across the country since September 25 to ensure overall security during Durga Puja.
Read Palbari Puja Mandap in Sherpur: Sign of communal harmony for over a century
Rab members have been deployed to strengthen security from October 1 to October 6.
Apart from carrying out sweeping operations at various important places including Puja mandaps, Rab’s bomb disposal unit is working round the clock for any situation, said the DG.
This year, the Durga Puja began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.
Read With scars from 2021, Cumilla sees tighter security for Durga Puja
The five-day Durga Puja festival will culminate with the immersion of idols on October 5.
Close to 8 percent of Bangladesh’s more than 160 million people are Hindu.
Home Minister: Reforms can be initiated after reviewing US report on Rab
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said that reforms can be initiated after reviewing the US report on Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).
He made the comment in response to reporters’ questions after a program in a Dhaka hotel.
The home minister said, “Reforms – that you speak of – we are doing all the time. We are modernizing everything. We are doing what needs to be done.”
Also read: No question of reforming Rab: DG
“Rab is an elite force; we give them special tasks from time to time. Rab works according to its policy,” he said.
Neither Rab, nor the police go unpunished if they commit punishable offence, the minister said. “Many police and Rab personnel are in jail. We are not exempting anyone,” he added.
The home minister also said, “We are going over the US report. If there’s any mistake, I will definitely look into it.”
Also read: “Extrajudicial killings down since US sanctions on RAB, a good sign”
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, at a Dhaka event last Thursday, said that there has been no change in their position regarding the US sanction on Rab. Haas said the sanction will remain in place until accountability and reforms are ensured.
On Saturday, newly-appointed Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), M Khurshid Hossain, said that there was no question of reforming Rab, the elite force, which has been credited in dealing with militancy and serious crimes in recent years.
“We are not doing anything for which reform is needed. We are working according to rules defined for us. We do not do anything in violation of law. In that case, there is no question of reforms,” he told reporters while paying tribute to the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhanmondi-32.
Read Rab established itself as a role model, says its outgoing DG
“Sanctions have been imposed, and the government has replied to that through official channel. This is not a challenge (for us),” he said, adding that the elite force would continue to play its role by maintaining law and order and tackling militancy, terrorism and drug.
No question of reforming Rab: DG
Newly-appointed Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) M Khurshid Hossain said on Saturday that there was no question of reforming the anti-crime elite force, which has been credited in dealing with militancy and serious crimes in recent years.
“Personally, I don’t see any question of any reforms. We are not doing anything for what it needs to be reformed. We are working according to rules defined for us. We do not do anything in violation of law. In that case, there is no question of reforms,” he told reporters while paying tribute to the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhanmondi-32.
“Sanctions have been imposed, and the government has replied to that through official channel. This is not a challenge (for us),” he said adding that the elite force would continue to play its role by maintaining law and order and tackling militancy, terrorism and drug.
Read:Momen in NY: No specific info given by US on Rab sanctions
The DG’s statement came in response to recent comment by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas that there was no change in US policy on Rab and sanctions on the agency would continue until there has been accountability and reform after human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, accused the force of violating human rights.
The elite anti-crime force has been blamed for a number of enforced disappearances and so-called cross-fire incidents, but the agency refuted all the allegations.
The US envoy made the comment on Thursday (September 29) in a discussion organised by “Centre for Governance Studies” and German think tank “Friedrich Ebert Stiftung” in Dhaka.
Read “RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Haas had said the sanctions imposed by the US against RAB and seven of its former and current officials were not intended to punish them, but to change the behaviour and hold them accountable.
“We are looking for accountability for past incidents,” said the US ambassador.
Life term for GK Shamim, 7 others in arms case
A Dhaka court today sentenced eight people, including GK Shamim – a disgraced contractor who gained infamy during the “casino raids” of late 2019, to life term imprisonment in an arms case.
The other seven are all GK Shamim’s bodyguards: Md Zahidul Islam, Md Shahidul Islam, Md Kamal Hossain, Md Shamsad Hossain, Md Aminul Islam, Md Delwar Hossain, and Md Murad Hossain.
Third Additional Metropolitan Session Court Judge Sheikh Samidul Islam passed the judgment.
Read: ACC approves chargesheet against GK Shamim
They were brought to the court from jail in the morning.
GK Shamim, who was known as an influential contractor of Sabujbagh, Basabo and Motijheel areas of the capital, was arrested on September 20, 2019.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized illegal firearms and fixed deposit receipts worth Tk 165 crore, Tk 1.8 crore in cash and foreign currencies from his house and office at Niketan.
Read: GK Shamim indicted for money laundering
The elite force filed three cases – one under narcotics control, one under money-laundering prevention and the other under arms act – against Shamim with Gulshan Police Station on September 21.
In October 2019, Rab filed a charge sheet against the accused in the arms case.
The official trial proceeding in the case began on February 28, after the court framed charges against the eight accused rejecting an appeal for acquittal.
Read GK Shamim: Court sets Sept 25 for verdict in arms case
“RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has said that “Operation Sundarbans” is winning over audiences since its release on Friday.
“Despite being a two hours and 21 minutes long film, it has managed to keep the audience invested. The film is receiving positive reactions from moviegoers as it’s packed with action, adventure and suspense. VFX, sound quality, actors’ performances – altogether ‘Operation Sundarbans’ scores high,” the IGP said.
Benazir Ahmed said this after watching “Operation Sundarbans” at Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City mall on Friday afternoon.
“Our RAB troops and officers have also done a great job. In a number of ways, scenes of the operation have been highlighted. After watching the movie, audiences will better understand our officers’ acumen and efficiency,” he commented.
Also read: PM declares Sundarban robber-free
Referring to the story of “Operation Sundarbans”, Benazir Ahmed said that RAB started the operation with the aim of restoring peace in the Sundarbans, known as a sanctuary for robbers. “Peace and security were ensured in the Sundarbans through the skillful and smart operation of the officers and troops. We planned to present that success story to the nation through ‘Operation Sundarbans’,” he said.
“However, it is not possible to highlight the success of RAB with just one film, and I think this film partly shows RAB’s many successes. After planning to make the film, I asked filmmaker Dipankar Dipon to go to the Sundarbans, stay there, talk to locals including the bhawali, honey collectors, fishermen and write the script. Dipan followed the instructions.”
“The Sundarbans was a sanctuary for robbers for nearly 40 years after independence. RAB has been able to free the Sundarbans from them as well as inspire a quality film,” he said.
The IGP said, “Earlier, when I worked on ‘Dhaka Attack’ with Dipan, I was the Police Commissioner. And while planning ‘Operation Sundarbans’, I was the DG of RAB. At the time of the film’s release, I am serving as the IGP.”
Also read: 'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry
Rab’s Legal and Media Wing Director, Commander Khandaker Al Moin; RAB's Legal and Media Wing Deputy Director, Major Raisul Azam; producer Arun Chowdhury; Chayanika Chowdhury, actress Tanjika, filmmaker SA Haque Olike, actress and director Hriday Haque, Raihan Rafi and artists of “Operation Sundarbans” were also present on the occasion.
Momen in NY: No specific info given by US on Rab sanctions
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said the US government provided no specific information to Bangladesh about putting sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and some of its top current and former officials.
He said this in reply to a question during a media briefing on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s programmes during the 77th UNGA in New York on Tuesday.
Read:Myanmar’s shelling inside Bangladesh “unintentional mistake”, Momen says in NY
The foreign minister said that the Bangladesh government repeatedly sought information on the sanctions the US imposed on Rab and its current, former officials last December for alleged rights abuse.
“Still, they have not given any correct and specific information. So, we do not know. Besides, the US has a habit of imposing sanctions on different countries,” he said.
Read: Momen, Canadian High Commissioner welcome formation of CBAA
The minister praised Rab for combating terrorism in the country.
In this regard, he said there has been no terrorist incident in the country after the Holey Artisan attack on July 1, 2016. “That was the last one,” he added, He also said that PM Hasina demonstrates zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Read US sanctions outcome of USD 100 million project: IGP
US sanctions outcome of USD 100 million project: IGP
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has said that the US sanctions on some Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members, including him from his time leading the paramilitary force, are the result of a USD 100 million project.
The IGP said this at a welcome reception organized in his honor on the occasion of his visit to the US on Friday.
“A vested quarter hired four international lobbyist firms and gave them USD 25 million each for the project. After trying for three years, these firms were finally able to persuade the US government to impose sanctions on Rab and me,” said the IGP.
At the event, Benazir once again clarified that he had no connection with the enforced disappearances that the US government has alleged.
“The US government said that 600 people have become victims of enforced disappearances since 2009. I joined Rab in 2015, which means I had nothing to do with it. Besides, the US government hasn’t been able to provide a list of the disappeared people. This means that the allegations aren’t true,” Benazir added.
Read: Home Minister, IGP in NY to join UNCOPS
However, Benazir also said that he doesn’t want to blame the US government for the sanctions.
“I don’t want to blame the US government as they didn’t do it on their own. The US didn’t hire the lobbying firms, rather they were influenced by some lobbyists who were hired by another party. We have very good people-to-people relations with the US, and we’re always trying to strengthen them further,” the IGP said.
The IGP then asked everyone to remain vigilant about attempts to damage the historical ties between Bangladesh and the US.