The government has initiated a move to rename the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as the Special Response Battalion (SRB) under a new legal framework, with a draft bill already approved and published on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ website for public opinion.

The proposed bill seeks to provide a legal basis for the existing RAB structure by reconstituting it as a specialised unit under the Bangladesh Police.

The draft law also outlines the unit’s powers and responsibilities, including operational authority, criminal investigations, disciplinary procedures for members and the establishment of a separate committee to address complaints from the public.

According to the draft, the SRB will have its own government-approved emblem, flag and official uniform. The government plans to establish the unit’s headquarters in Dhaka.

The Director General of the Special Response Battalion will be appointed from among serving police officers, with the post to be held by an officer of at least the rank of Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IGP).

Under the proposed law, the SRB will be responsible for safeguarding internal security, gathering intelligence, recovering illegal firearms, ammunition and explosives, combating narcotics, tackling cybercrime, preventing human trafficking and organised crime, and carrying out any other duties assigned by the government.

Officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs said that once the draft is finalised, it will be circulated among relevant ministries and government departments for their opinions before being placed before the Cabinet for approval.

Following Cabinet approval, the bill will be submitted to the National Parliament for enactment. Once the new law comes into force, the existing legal framework governing the Rapid Action Battalion will be repealed, although certain previous provisions will remain effective until new regulations are introduced.