The Intelligence Wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is the intelligence and covert operations branch of the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite counter-terrorism and serious crime unit under the Bangladesh Police. Established in 2005, the wing is responsible for gathering intelligence, conducting surveillance, interrogations, and supporting operational battalions in high-risk missions.[1] It has played a key role in Bangladesh's counter-terrorism efforts but has faced significant criticism for alleged involvement in human rights abuses, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.[2][3]
The Rapid Action Battalion was formed on 26 March 2004 through the Armed Police Battalion (Amendment) Act, 2003, merging personnel from various security forces to combat terrorism and organized crime. The Intelligence Wing was established in 2005 as the first dedicated intelligence unit within RAB, with Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed appointed as its founding director and chief. Under Ahmed's leadership, the wing focused on anti-terrorism operations, particularly targeting Islamist militant groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Key early achievements included the March 2006 arrests of JMB leaders such as Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai, as well as raids that dismantled militant networks and seized explosives. In 2017, the wing's chief, Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad, was killed in a bomb blast during a raid on an ISIS hideout in Sylhet. Subsequent leaders included Major General Ziaul Ahsan and Lieutenant Colonel Mashiur Rahman Jewel.[4][5]
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, investigations revealed the wing's role in systemic abuses, leading to calls for reform or disbandment of RAB.
Structure and organization
The Intelligence Wing operates as one of the core functional units within RAB's headquarters in Kurmitola, Dhaka, alongside Operations, Admin & Finance, and Investigations Wings.[6] It is commanded by a lieutenant colonel or equivalent rank from the armed forces, reporting to the Additional Director General of RAB.
The wing comprises specialized personnel from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police, trained in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and covert tactics.[7] It coordinates closely with RAB's 15 battalions for nationwide operations and has received international training, including from the European Union in intelligence techniques.[8] RAB personnel, including those from the Intelligence Wing, serve two-year terms before rotating back to their parent forces.
Operations
The primary functions of the Intelligence Wing include:
Intelligence collection and analysis on terrorist networks and organized crime.
Surveillance and monitoring of suspects.
Interrogations and extraction of information from detainees.
Planning and execution of covert operations, such as raids and arrests, in coordination with operational units.[9][10]
Notable operations include the 2006 crackdown on JMB, which led to the capture of over 100 militants and the seizure of bomb-making materials, and the 2017 Sylhet ISIS raid. The wing has also supported anti-smuggling and anti-corruption efforts.
Controversies
The Intelligence Wing has been accused of operating as a "killing force" in enforced disappearances, with over 600 cases of extrajudicial killings and disappearances linked to RAB between 2009 and 2023, many involving the wing's covert tactics.[11] Former chief Ziaul Ahsan has denied involvement in such activities.[12]
Investigations post-2024 revealed secret detention sites at RAB headquarters used for torture, including beatings and electrocution, often managed by the Intelligence Wing.[13] The wing's personnel have also been implicated in deploying to UN peacekeeping missions despite abuse allegations.[14] In June 2025, Bangladesh's interim government described the wing as having functioned as a tool for state-sponsored disappearances under the previous regime.[15]
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