The National Citizen Party (NCP) on Sunday pledged to disband the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and overhaul Bangladesh’s law enforcement and administrative systems, unveiling a 24-point election manifesto it calls the vision for a “Second Republic.”
Party Convener Nahid Islam announced the plan at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, describing it as a step toward a “New Bangladesh” built on transparency, accountability, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
The manifesto places law enforcement reform at its core. It promises to abolish RAB and end the use of intelligence agencies for political purposes or human rights abuses. The NCP said it will establish a legal framework to ensure that no agency can intimidate or detain citizens without a proper warrant.
“We will abolish RAB and stop political misuse of intelligence agencies,” the manifesto reads. “Law enforcement must serve the people, not intimidate them.”
Other proposals include updating the colonial-era Police Acts of 1861 and 1898, restructuring police as “protectors of human rights,” and requiring officers to wear body cameras while on duty. Community policing would be expanded, and plainclothes operations would only be permitted in defined circumstances.
The party wants to get politics out of the police force for good. Their big idea is to create a permanent Police Commission to handle all the hiring, promotions, and transfers, so politicians can’t interfere.
The plan would also put an end to random arrests. Cops would need a real, legal reason to take someone in, and they’d have to identify themselves by name and rank right then and there.
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The manifesto also targets administrative reform. It criticizes the politicization of the bureaucracy and calls for a merit-based system focused on service delivery. The party envisions advanced training for civil servants and greater involvement of professional experts in government decision-making.
On corruption, NCP plans to introduce a Whistleblower Protection law, pursue faster trials, and enforce maximum punishment for proven cases. Educational programs would aim to build social awareness against corruption from an early age.
Making government services easier is another top priority. They want to slash the amount of paperwork people have to do and stop requiring them to show up in person for every little thing. The idea is to use technology to speed things up and make it simpler for everyone to get the help they need.
According to NCP leaders, this plan is their promise to build a government that actually serves its citizens—one that’s open and honest, and that can’t be twisted for political gain.
