Agartala, Aug 31: Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma on Monday claimed in the Tripura Legislative Assembly that 14 surrendered militants had recently crossed into Bangladesh.

Raising the matter in the House on the last day of the session, Debbarma sought details from the state government regarding the development.

The MLA referred to a letter purportedly written by Rakesh Debbarma, general secretary of a faction of the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), and addressed to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Tribal Welfare Minister. According to the MLA, the letter contained information about the alleged movement of the surrendered militants into Bangladesh.

He further alleged that one Alindra Debbarma had played a role in facilitating their passage across the border.

The TIPRA Motha legislator also raised concerns over a series of road blockades allegedly linked to demands of different militant groups. He said,  

Debbarma said some of these group members were not affiliated with the militant outfits, which had entered into a tripartite peace agreement with the government.

Seeking clarification, he asked what measures had been taken to deal with the activities of such groups and prevent further incidents that could disrupt normal life.

Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma did not immediately respond to the allegations raised in the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath subsequently intervened and advised the minister to discuss the matter with Ranjit Debbarma and work towards resolving the concerns.

According to a government press release, referring to reports of a proposed 72-hour Tripura shutdown from September 4, the government noted that representatives of NLFT (PT), NLFT (VB), and ATTF had announced the agitation during a press conference on August 21.

The Chief Minister during discussions in the House reiterated that the government remains committed to addressing legitimate concerns through dialogue and rehabilitation measures.