Around 100 armed activists of Mro National Party are likely to surrender their arms this week, the largest ever incident of surrender after the 1997 Peace Accord.
A list of 70 MNP activists was prepared on Friday during a meeting at Alikadam. Army’s Alikadam zone chief Lt Col Mizanur Rahman, former hill district council member Aung Pru Mro, Sualok Union Chairman Ranglai Mro and four MNP representatives attended the meeting, sources said.
The authorities concerned have already seized 60 locals arms and ammunition from the 70 MNP members. Another list of 30 activists would be finalised within a couple of days. They are set to hand over their arms at the Kurmnokpata camp at Alikadam on October 22.
The group was established in 2011 and they soon engaged in killings, abduction, extortion and other criminal activities after establishing a camp at Poa Muhuri of Alikadam. They are also active in Thanchi and Lama upazilas.
Sources said that most members of the group in Alikadam and Thanchi would surrender their arms by October 22.
When contacted, Lt Col Mizan said that they were working to settle the matter.
Alikadam police chief Appela Raju Naha said that he had heard about the ongoing process but yet to receive any formal instructions.
According to locals and police sources, Paale Mro took over the charge of the group after the arrest of its founder Menching Mro in 2012. Menching was killed in a gunfight with the rival group on April 5, 2012 and Paale on June 7 the same year. Paale was a former councillor of Alikadam sadar union.
More than 37 members of the group were arrested and 42 others surrendered in 2012 during joint drives by the army, Border Guard Bangladesh and police.
The active members have been trying to regroup under the leadership of Menrum Mro of Alikadam.
Then Awami League government and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) signed a historic deal, dubbed as Peace Accord, on December 2, 1997 to end a decade-long armed struggle in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Around 2,000 PCJSS members surrendered and handed over their arms and ammunition to the government in four phases as per the Accord.
