The 20th anniversary celebration of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will be held today, Wednesday. Though the force displayed itself in the parade on Independence Day, March 26, 2004, due to the holy month of Ramadan this year, the anniversary celebration has been brought forward to March 6.
RAB informed that the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, will attend the anniversary ceremony at the RAB Headquarters’ Shaheed Lt. Colonel Azad Memorial Hall at 10 am today, Wednesday, as the chief guest. She will address the gathering on behalf of the force. Later, a meeting of the chiefs of the 15 battalions of this force will be held. The slogan for this year’s RAB anniversary is “Smart Bangladesh, Smart RAB.”
During the ceremony, President M. Sahabuddin, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and RAB Director-General (DG) M. Khurshid Hossain addressed separately.
RAB has earned much praise for its efforts in combating terrorism in the country. Following the countrywide series bomb attacks initiated by militant organization JMB on August 17, 2005, RAB’s counter-terrorism activities gained momentum. The chief of JMB, Sheikh Abdur Rahman, Siddikul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, and the military wing chief Ataur Rahman Sunny were apprehended along with hundreds of militants. The force also gained public trust by apprehending illegal arms, conducting anti-drug campaigns, casino raids, and arresting extortionists.
RAB has been successful in rehabilitating criminals into mainstream society. A few months ago, in Cox’s Bazar, they provided training on various courses including sewing machines to return the drug traders to normal life.
RAB has kept its promise of a “Smart Bangladesh” and “Smart RAB” slogan. As part of this continuity, RAB has developed the On-Site Identification and Verification System (OIVS) device, contributing to technological advancement. This device can identify a person’s identity along with other information such as fingerprints, national ID number, or date of birth using the fingerprints on the spot. This has increased efficiency in crime investigation. RAB has also launched the “Report to RAB” mobile app, through which ordinary people can easily provide information about terrorism, innocent individuals, murder, kidnapping, drugs, and robbery via social media.
