RAB wants to form welfare trust to do business
RAB wants to start businesses in eight categories such as hotels or other forms of accommodation, petrol pumps and CNG stations, shopping complexes
DEEPAK ACHARJEE
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), working as a special wing of Bangladesh Police, has sent a proposal to the public security service of the home ministry, seeking permission to form the Rapid Action Battalion Welfare Trust to do business, government sources said.
The RAB wants to start its own business in eight different areas such as hotels, hospitals, and shopping centres, under the elite forces welfare trust.
The force has also submitted a memorandum of articles of association of the Rapid Action Battalion Welfare Trust. It says that the proposed trust would be operated under The Companies Act 1994, the sources added.
The elite force has also applied to the commerce ministry, seeking a licence for the Rapid Action Battalion Welfare Trust to run its activities, said the sources.
A senior RAB officer told The Independent that the police department has already cleared the proposal for the formation of the Rapid Action Battalion Welfare Trust. It will ensure the welfare of the members of the elite force working across the country under highly risky conditions.
Once the trust is formed, we will be able to provide different welfare facilities to our members by operating different businesses in the country, he said.
According to the memorandum of the articles of association, the RAB has also shown interest in petrol pumps and CNG stations, car servicing or washing facilities, rent-a-car services, uniforms, hosiery products, sportswear, food processing, hospitals, pisciculture, agro, cattle, and poultry farms.
To operate the trust, a 12-member board of trusties, headed by the director general of the RAB, will be formed. The director general would be the chairman of the board. Two other directors general of the force will be appointed as the vice-
chairmen, and the director (admin) will be its member secretary.
The management committee will be headed by the topmost official of the force, while the director (admin) would be the managing director of the committee. Sources said 11,103 RAB members work in 14 battalions across the country.
The RAB is an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police. It consists of members of the Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Ansar.
It was formed on 26 March 2004, and started operations on 14 April 2004. Since its inception, the RAB has seized 3,149 illegal arms and more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition and has made more than 500 arrests.
At present, most of the forces, including Bangladesh Army, BGB and Ansar VDP are involved in various businesses by forming welfare trusts for providing facilities to their members.
Bangladesh Army has been operating a scheduled bank, Trust Bank, since 1999 while the BGB is operating Shimanto Bank. The Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank, a specialised bank for Ansars and village defence parties, has been in operation since 1995.
