More than 80 robbers are scheduled to lay down their arms on Saturday at Kalarmarchara Government Primary School in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar.

Iqbal Hossain, the Additional Superintendent of Cox’s Bazar police, said robbers, including notorious firearms maker Zafar Alam, will surrender before Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan Kamal at 11am.

Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary will also be present there.

Sources say the robbers will surrender 150 firearms, 2,000 improvised bombs and sharp weapons.

Already, 78 robbers have taken shelter at the Safe Home of police as of Friday and the number is likely to climb to 100 by Saturday, Iqbal said.

Quoting a robber, who is now staying at the Safe Home, the ASP said firearms from ‘Zafar Arms Factory’ were supplied throughout the country.

MM Akram Hossain, a private TV channel journalist, worked as mediator.

ABM Masud Hossain, superintendent of Cox’s Bazar police, said Kalamarchhara union is a crime-prone area where all types of criminal activities, including murder, abduction and extortion, take place regularly.

A number of robber gangs, including ‘Khausarbar Group’, ‘Kalabor Group’ and ‘Ayub Bahini’ and local firearms makers, are scheduled to surrender, he added.

Sharif Badsha, chairman of Maheshkhali Upazila Parishad, said locals will heave a sigh of relief once the robbers lay down their arms.