Awami League lawmaker MA Latif praises RAB as Grace of Allah

A ruling MP has publicly supported ‘extrajudicial killings’ by law-enforcement agencies, including the Rapid Action Battalion or RAB.

MA Latif praised the RAB as the Grace of Allah for Bangladesh at a programme in Chittagong’s Patenga on Saturday.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed were present at the event when the Awami League lawmaker highly praised the elite force.

“RAB is a terror for criminals, and comfort for general people,” Latif said.

“For me, R in RAB stands for Rahmat (Grace), A for Allah, and B for Bangladesh -- ‘Rahmat of Allah for Bangladesh or RAB’.”

Since its formation in 2004 as an elite crime-busting force, RAB has been mired in criticism for extrajudicial killings in the name of so-called crossfire and gun battles.

Latif, a former president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry or CCCI, was speaking at the event on an antinarcotics campaign, at RAB-7’s Patenga offices.

The Chittagong-11 MP came down hard on those who criticise police or RAB for extrajudicial killings whenever the forces ‘hunt down criminals’.

“No human is being killed without trial. Those killed without trial are animals that look like humans."

Latif said criminals despite having many cases against them use legal loopholes to secure freedom. “As the government has no other way to control that, the law-enforcement agencies ‘hunt down’ major criminals to strike fear among them and give others a sense of comfort.

“That’s why the people bless them (law-enforcers) -- either RAB or police -- for hunting down those criminals.”

Latif praised the RAB director general for his extraordinary role in anticrime crackdowns and greeted him with a 'red salute'.

In his speech, Home Minister Khan, however, did not touch on Latif’s remarks on RAB at Saturday’s event.

But he called the MP a ‘skilled businessman’, ‘experienced politician’ and a ‘popular leader’, though many Awami League leaders and activists in Chittagong disapprove of Latif.

Praising the members of law-enforcement agencies for their hard work, Latif stated that the forces will always have his support in their future antinarcotics campaign.