SHILLONG, March 19 — All export operations to Bangladesh from Assam and Meghalaya have been suspended from March 17 in the wake of the abduction of a customs officer and six exporters by suspected NDFB and PFLM militants on February 28 last from Ghasuapara in South Garo Hills.
Commissioner of Customs DD Ingty told newsmen in the evening that the decision of suspend operations will affect the lucrative Rs 200 crore annual export from Meghalaya alone.
“We have informed the Meghalaya Government that the customs authorities have been constrained to suspend the exports from the land customs stations (LCS) in view of the prevailing instability in security and safety in the far-flung areas,” Ingty said.
The NDFB has demanded a ransom of dollars one million (about Rs 5 crore) for the safe release of the six abducted exporters. A separate amount of Rs 30 lakh has been demanded by the militants for the release of the customs inspector Dipak Mahanta. It is understood that the abductors have set a deadline of March 20 for the payment of the ransom, failing which the captives would be shot.
Representatives of the exporters were invited to Dhaka by the Capt Daimalu of NDFB to negotiate the release of the exporters. After two rounds of discussions at Dhaka, the NDFB reportedly reduced the amount to Rs 2.5 crore. But with the exporters expressing their ability to pay only Rs 1 lakh per exporter, the NDFB reportedly rejected the offer resulting in a stalemate.
Suspension of the exports is expected to badly hit the Bangladeshi economy as it will halt supplies of coal, limestone and boulder which are used by cement industry, brickkilns and for road construction.