The government has shown a noble way of tackling violent extremism by enticing 315 extremists from seven northern districts to lay down their arms and return to normal life. At a ceremony organised by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the extremists surrendered 216 firearms to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and made a pledge that they would no longer commit any crime. In return the Home Minister assured them that the government will consider dropping the law-suits against them. Moreover, the surrendered extremists will receive necessary training and assistance from the government so that they can earn a living in a dignified way.

It is certainly a new lease of life for the extremists who understood their mistakes and asked for mercy and an opportunity to return to normal life. Reportedly, the surrendering extremists were affiliated with Purbo Bangla Communist Party ML (Red Flag), Purbo Bangla Sharbohara Party (MBRM), and Purbo Bangla Sharbohara Party (Janjuddha). They were operating in Sirajganj, Pabna, Tangail, Rajbari, Meherpur, Kushtia, and Bagura districts.

The force has achieved laudable success in arresting or eliminating many dangerous extremists, and thus effectively neutralised many militant organisations including JMB, HUJI, Neo-JMB and so on.

However, it cannot be denied that there have always been some nagging allegations like extra-judicial killing and torture of innocent people against some personnel of RAB. But the force says that such violations are strictly dealt with under internal mechanisms of the force as well as the law of the land. So, no matter whether we love or loathe the RAB, it cannot be denied that its proactive and rapid actions made the country a safer place to live in.