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His remarks came after the home minister on Monday said that the government is drafting a law to ensure the force’s accountability and transparency.

Responding to past demands from the BNP and others to abolish the force, Zahed said that while Rab has faced criticism, it is equipped with advanced technology and trained and has proven effective against crimes where conventional policing often fails.

However, he said there would be no scope for an elite force to be involved in human rights violations, as a democratically elected government would not misuse such a force, since it depends on public support and electoral mandates.

In response to a question on the repatriation of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Zahed said no extrajudicial action would be taken if she returns to Bangladesh.

“We wanted to remove Sheikh Hasina from power because she did not ensure justice,” said the adviser, who holds the status of a state minister, adding that today’s Bangladesh seeks to establish justice.

He said justice would be ensured even for adversaries, including Hasina.

Illustrating his point, he said that if Hasina is acquitted of a death sentence through due process, it would be accepted, and if not, the sentence would be carried out. He added that even a death sentence can be considered justice, provided due process is strictly followed.

MEDIA COMMISSION BY JULY-AUGUST

Responding to another question, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said a time-befitting media policy and a media commission would be formed by July-August this year to safeguard the interests of journalists, owners, and media workers.

The media commission, he said, would address issues of anarchy arising from unethical journalism.

On the wage board for journalists and media workers, Swapon said protecting journalists’ interests and supporting media owners are both government responsibilities.

“We are working to create a clear and organised legal framework to resolve disputes between journalists and media owners. A policy and commission acceptable to all will be formed by July-August,” he said.

The minister said issues of false cases against journalists and unethical journalism were discussed in a meeting with the Editors’ Council.

As there is no specific provision in existing law to define such acts as crimes, aggrieved parties often resort to different laws, complicating matters, he said.

Swapon said the proposed media commission would remove this legal gap.

Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmad was also present at the briefing.