Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini
| National Defense Force জাতীয় রক্ষী বাহিনী | |
|---|---|
Seal of Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini | |
| Active | 1 February 1972 – 9 October 1975 |
| Disbanded | 9 October 1975 |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Allegiance | Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Awami League |
| Type | Infantry Presidential guard Death squad |
| Role | Counter-insurgency Counter-terrorism Anti-communism |
| Size | 16,000 (1975) |
| Headquarters | Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka |
| Nickname(s) | Rakkhi, JRB |
| Patron | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |
| Colors | Dark Brown, Light French Beige |
| Mascot(s) | Index finger of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brigadier General A. N. M. Nuruzzaman |
| Insignia | |
| JRB Insignia | |
The Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini (Bengali: জাতীয় রক্ষী বাহিনী, lit. 'National Defense Force') was a Bangladeshi paramilitary force formed in 1972 by the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government. Initially formed to curb an insurgency and maintain law and order, the force became involved in numerous charges of human rights abuses, including political killings, shooting by death squads, and rape. It was seen as the armed wing of the ruling Awami League and it swore an oath of loyalty to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Rakkhi Bahini has been condemned by many academics and journalists, including Ghulam Murshid who compared it with the Gestapo, and Anthony Mascarenhas who said that it was a "gang of hoodlums little different from the Nazi Brown shirts." Human Rights Watch states that the institutionalized violence committed by the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini, established the culture of impunity with which security forces in independent Bangladesh continue to abuse human rights. Pro Awami League commentators dismiss the charges as "myths".