Dhaka  - A New York-based rights watchdog on Monday slammed Bangladesh's leading intelligence agency and an anti-crime force for massive human rights violation in the South Asian country.

In a report launched on rights violation by Bangladeshi forces, the Human Rights Watch recommended disbanding of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for violation.

"If the two forces are not disbanded they should be made to comply with existing laws and international human rights norms," said the report titled "Ignoring Executions and Torture: Impunity for Bangladesh's Security Forces."

HRW described the forces as "symbols of abuse and impunity" in the 76-page report.

"The very forces tasked with upholding the law and providing security to the public have become well known for breaking the law in the gravest manner without ever facing any consequences," said Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director.

The report cited the long history of arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings by the forces and called on Dhaka to launch a commission to identify and recommend the dismissal of officers suspected for committing serious human rights violations.

DGFI's operations should be strictly limited to lawful military intelligence activities and in no circumstances should it have powers to detain or to engage in surveillance of the political opposition and critics of the government, said the report.

It urged Bangladesh to take urgent action to make good on its campaign promise to end impunity for human rights abuses and to establish the rule of law.

The report also details the involvement of soldiers, paramilitary officers, and police in so-called "crossfire killings" and other custodial killings, torture, "disappearances," and arbitrary arrests.

Over the past five years, the military, the RAB and the police have been responsible for well over 1,000 killings, the report added.

"Successive governments have promised but failed to ensure that law enforcement officials and soldiers responsible for abuses are brought to justice," it charged.

Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed who assumed office in early 2009 has also promised to bring to an end to the extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths.(dpa)