Amid a national outrage over the abduction and killing of seven people, authorities on Friday transferred all 85 police officers in a central Bangladeshi town and launched a high-level probe into the alleged role of the country’s elite anti-crime force in the incident.
Transfer orders were issued to all the officers of three police stations and the detective branch of the Narayanganj district police.
“The step was taken to restore the police image and bring transparency in law enforcement there,” a spokesman told reporters.
The development came hours after as a seven-member high-level committee launched the investigation into the alleged involvement of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which draws personnel from three armed forces and police, after complaints by the victims’ families.
Bangladesh last week sacked three senior officers from the RAB over claims they abducted and killed seven people outside Dhaka.
The move comes after a businessman in the industrial city of Narayanganj last week accused the three of abducting his son in-law, a city councillor, and six of his associates.
Their bodies were found days after their disappearance floating in a nearby river.