JS session prorogued as SRB, APBn bills passed amid opposition objections

The third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) was prorogued on Thursday, concluding a 15-day session that began on 27 August.
The session ended with concluding speeches by Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr Shafiqur Rahman. Then Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad read out the President’s prorogation order.
In his concluding speech, Tarique thanked lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches for their participation in parliamentary proceedings. Dr Shafiqur also spoke on various issues. On the final day, Parliament passed the Special Response Battalion (SRB) Bill, 2026 and the Armed Police Battalions (APBn) Bill, 2026 amid strong objections from opposition lawmakers.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed moved the two bills, which were passed by voice vote.
The SRB Bill provides for the abolition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its replacement by a new specialised unit under the Bangladesh Police. It repeals the legal provisions under which RAB was established in 2003 and provides for the formation of the SRB to deal with terrorism, organised crime and other serious offences.
The APBn Bill repeals the 1979 Armed Police Battalions Ordinance and introduces a new legal framework for the force in Bangla, while removing provisions relating to RAB. Opposition MPs voiced strong objections during consideration of the bills, questioning the decision to fast-track the legislation and calling for further scrutiny.
They argued that restructuring RAB under a new name without adequate structural reforms might not fully address past accountability issues.
Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman and other opposition MPs also said transferring RAB personnel, resources, assets and operational responsibilities to the SRB could effectively revive the same force under a different name.
The home minister, however, said the creation of the SRB is essential for modernising law enforcement while ensuring strict administrative discipline under the police framework.
Regarding the APBn Bill, he said the force would function under an additional inspector general of police under the overall supervision of the inspector general of police. A cyber cell and a research unit would also be established at APBn headquarters.
Thursday’s sitting began at 3pm with question-and-answer sessions on key ministries, including home affairs, foreign affairs and planning. The House then dealt with private members’ resolutions and a private member’s bill before taking up government legislative business.
Meanwhile, Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam Moni urged MPs to remain vigilant against digital fraud involving mobile phone hacking, voice cloning and forged signatures. Speaking on a point of order, he said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had started taking preventive measures to address the problems.
He said three MPs had informed him that messages were sent from their phone numbers seeking Tk50,000, Tk30,000 and Tk25,000 urgently. He tried to contact the MPs but they did not answer his calls.
“It means their mobile numbers have been hacked,” he said.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, who was presiding over the sitting at the time, said MPs who fall victim to voice cloning or other forms of digital fraud should not be held responsible for such incidents.