In an event attended by the home minister in Pabna, 595 members of various outlawed outfits have turned in weapons and surrendered themselves to authorities.
The surrender ceremony was held in Shaheed Aminuddin Stadium in Pabna town on Tuesday (Apr 9) afternoon.
The men turned in 575 local weapons and 68 firearms of various kinds.
They came from several outlawed parties, such as Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) (ML-Red flag), Janajuddha, Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party, Kadamati Party, and local Naxalites.
Speaking at the event, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the government welcomed these persons who had chosen to return to a life of normalcy, leaving a dark path.
“During a previous Awami League term, in 1999, 2,000 outlaws surrendered to the government,” Asaduzzaman said.
“Those who have not surrendered still have the opportunity to return to a normal life through the proper process,” he said.
Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary, local MPs, Pabna deputy commissioner and senior police officials also attended the event.
Among the outlaws, 132 are from Pabna, 80 from Joypurhat, 70 from Naogaon, 69 from Sirajganj, 60 from Rajshahi, 34 from Rajbari, 35 from Khulna, 31 from Tangail, 27 from Faridpur, 15 from Bogra, and two each from Jashore and Narail.
They were provided with financial incentives to help them with reintegration with society. The home minister said there were many highly educated persons among those who surrendered, and the prime minister had instructed officials to provide employment opportunities to all of them according to their qualifications.