Mro National Party to surrender arms today

At least 79 activists of Mro National Party (MNP), an armed group of Bandarban hill district, will surrender their arms to Bangladesh Army today.

The programme will be held at remote Kuruk Patajiri in Alikadom upazila under the district, said Brig Gen Naqueeb Ahmed Chowdhury, chief of Bandarban cantonment.

Mro Social Council (MSC), a social organisation of Mro community, worked for months to negotiate with MNP leaders for the purpose, said Sing Yang Mro, a member of Bandarban Hill District Council and a leader of Mro community.

MNP leaders gave a list of 79 members, including 65 from MNP Menrum group and 14 others from MNP Lohub group, who want to return to normal life through surrendering their arms to the government security forces, said Eyang Lack Mro, president of MSC Alikadom upazila unit.

Mro leaders said Menrum Mro of Alikadom upazila founded the group with a few Mro youths in 2010.

Later, they engaged in killings, abduction, extortion and other criminal activities in Alikadom, Thanchi and Lama upazilas of the district.

“Menrum was killed by his own party men in 2012 and consequently, MNP was divided into two groups, one comprising followers of Menrum and the other led by Lohub,” said Kamlai Mro, vice president of MSC.

The rebel groups of the district will return to normal life, thanks to the initiative of the present government, said Bandarban Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Abu Jaffar, also the now acting deputy commissioner.

State Minister for CHT affairs ministry, Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing MP, will attend today's programme as the chief guest.

High officials of army and local civil and police administration will be present.

The Awami League government and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) signed historic Peace Accord on December 2 in 1997 to end a years-long armed struggle in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Around 1,950 PCJSS members surrendered and handed over their arms and ammunition to the government in four phases as per the accord.