DHAKA: Speakers at a discussion on Saturday said the elite forces Rapid Action Battalion should not be abolished rather RAB needs to be reformed, which requires political will.

Speakers came up with the remarks at a discussion titled “Rule of Law, Citizen Rights and Role of Law-Disciplinary Force: Recent Reflections” at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan of the city.

Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies of Dhaka University organized the discussion.

Speakers said RAB should not be used politically, it has to be used for welfare of general people and  transparency should be maintained in recruitment, training, promotion of RAB.

Addressing the function, former Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said, “Police is not functioning in its way.”

“What happened at daylight in Feni? Can’t our police work on it? In fact, police are being barred to function in its ways” Sakhawat added.

Delivering the welcome speech, major general (retd) Abdur Rashid said, “People’s minds are terrified by extrajudicial killings, the more the level of violence the more the extrajudicial killing in a country.”

Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) president Anisul Haque, Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naim Nizam, Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta, Barrister Tania Amir, Information Commissioner professor Sadeka Halim, Jatiya Nirbachon Parjabekkhon Parishad (JANIPOP) chairman Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Ekattor TV chief editor and managing director Mozammel Babu and, major general (retd) Mohamamd Ali Shikdar, among others spoke at the function.

BDST: 1409 HRS MAY 24, 2014