The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is likely to be constituted as a "striking arm" of the battalion police putting together the serving members of the armed forces, police, BDR and ansars.

A fresh proposal seeking to form the force was sent yesterday to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia along with recommendations of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order for approval, official sources said.

As per the proposal, the RAB with sophisticated weapons and well-trained personnel drawn on a maximum of two years deputation will function under the supervision of the inspector general of police.

The cabinet at two previous meetings on April 28 and May 12 seriously objected the home ministry's RAB proposals that wanted to give "excessive" authority to the new force passing a new legislation.

The cabinet viewed that excessive authority of the force might lead to widespread abuse of power. It sent the proposals to the cabinet body for scrutiny.

Officials said the cabinet body on law and order recommended formation of the RAB in view of the law and order under the existing Armed Police Battalion (APBN) Ordinance, 1979 by bringing some amendments to two of its articles.

The draft of the proposal is likely to be finalised today by the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order under Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan.

The body is waiting for the prime minister's comments and the law ministry's interpretation of some legal aspects.

The committee at its May 26 meeting asked the law ministry to examine whether new provisions to the APBN were required to make the RAB effective.

Sources said the cabinet committee disapproved of the provisions for fresh recruitment and inclusion of retired servicemen in the force as proposed by the home ministry.

According to the draft proposal, the RAB will be empowered to carry out investigation into crimes and prepare reports of related cases on government instruction.

The officer in-charge of the police station concerned will submit the report to a law court within 48 hours of the submission of a report by the RAB.

Meanwhile, the cabinet committee has already asked the officials of the home ministry, police and other civil forces to prepare a plan of action immediately to raise the effectiveness and skills of the law-enforcement agencies in the fight against crimes.