Rab curtails its activities

The Rapid Action Battalion has decided to temporarily refrain from additional duties like stop-and-search by setting up checkpoints on the streets, said its media wing chief yesterday.
The elite force will rather give priority to its seven main objectives set when it was launched in 2004, Rab Media Wing Director Habibur Rahman said.
Rab Director General Mukhlesur Rahman, at a recent meeting asked its battalions to focus on its main objectives, the official said.
The elite force is specialised in ensuring internal security, recovering unauthorised arms, ammunitions and explosives as well as busting armed criminal gangs, he said.
It also assists other law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order, gathers intelligence on criminals and crime, and investigates any offence as per government directives.
Apart from these, Rab members used to perform additional duties such as putting checkpoints, controlling traffic and guarding tender boxes, said the Rab official.
The Rab has always been under fire at home and abroad over allegations of extra-judicial killings.
After the abductions and killings of seven people in Narayanganj, it was alleged that some Rab members received Tk 6 crore for committing the crime.
Three Rab-11 officials -- commanding officer Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander Masud Rana -- were forced into retirement following the allegations.
They were later arrested and placed on remand for their alleged involvement in the abductions and killings.