Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has said there was “definite export of terror” under previous rule and the situation changed after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took over. "The situation changed after Sheikh Hasina took over. Her strong stance against terror has helped a lot in establishing peace in Assam. We gratefully acknowledge that," he told India Today in an exclusive interview. Sarma made these comments in response to a question over media reports on direct patronage of separatists during the BNP-Jamaat regime (2001-2006), India Today reported on Sunday. In reference to the return of normalcy in Assam, Sarma credited Bangladesh’s current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the last rule of the BNP-Jamaat alliance, on April 1, 2004, the country witnessed the biggest recovery of arms, reportedly meant for dreaded groups like ULFA, according to India Today. Ten truckloads of weapons and ammunition meant for the dreaded ULFA in India's Assam state were seized. The role of then PM Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman and his sidekick junior Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar has been graphically documented in the court judgment in the case, the report said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said India's northeast (NE) can play a pivotal role in strengthening Indo-ASEAN and Indo-BBN ties. The region can not only be a gateway to the southeast Asian nations but serve as a springboard in facilitating bilateral trades and commerce with these countries, he added. Himanta was speaking as the chief guest at the 2nd North East India Buyer-Seller Meet organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in association with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in Dispur, capital of the Indian state of Assam and a suburb at Guwahati, Thursday. The chief minister said that since India's northeast is located in the middle of the fastest emerging nations of southeast Asia, the region has the potential to act as the springboard for the emergence of trade and commerce with these nations. He also said the long international borders that the region shares with southeast Asian nations, BBN countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal) BBN countries, and China, give it a unique geographical advantage by being a catalyst for the development of trade and commerce. Presenting Assam before the international delegates at the event, Himanta said Assam is the largest economy in the northeastern region. The state has the reputation of being an industrial one because of its prolific tea, oil, coal, and tourism industries. Assam is one of the biodiversity hot spots of the country with its 312 notified reserve forests, five national parks and 20 wildlife sanctuaries. Taking into consideration its well-established petrochemical industry, the state can take the lead in producing green plastics which are in huge demand in developed markets, Himanta said. Assam is also home to some of the rarest wildlife species in the world along with rich flora and fauna which offer immense scope for wildlife tourism and investment, he added. Read: Assam CM praises Sheikh Hasina's leadership The chief minister also said the organic products of the state such as ginger, lemon, bhut jolokia, red rice, black rice, joha, pineapple, orange, jackfruit, and banana have huge export potential. He added: "Improved connectivity between India and southeast Asian nations has benefitted the northeastern region greatly. He said the bilateral and multilateral connectivity initiatives like the Trilateral Highway that goes from India to Thailand via Myanmar have given rise  to a new hope." "The survey and planning work on the Imphal-Moreh Railway line is underway. The setting up of the North East Economic corridor connecting markets in Bangladesh and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is also being actively contemplated to give a fillip to trade and commerce." Pointing to the illegal movement of goods from across the border, Himanta advocated for reworking the customs tariff system for the mutual development of all. The event which was organised with a focus on countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and Laos would also help in creating an enabling environment for the stakeholders to showcase their inherent strengths before the buyers, the chief minister said. The meeting will also be a way forward towards reviving the age-old ties between the northeast and its neighbours, he added.

Indian authorities on Thursday stepped up rescue operations to look for survivors in Wednesday's ferry tragedy in the Brahmaputra river in the northeastern state of Assam. The Indian Army has been called out to help in the rescue operations. So far, 87 people have been rescued, but one person has died and two others are still missing, officials said. The accident occurred on Wednesday evening when a single-motor passenger boat, carrying 90 people, collided with a government ferry in the Brahmaputra near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district, 350km from Assam's capital Guwahati, and capsized. Read: 60 'missing' in India ferry accident "Over 200 people were on board both the boats. While those on the government ferry had a narrow escape, the single-motor boat with 90 people on board capsized after the collision," a disaster management official told the media. "Some 87 people have been rescued so far. One woman has died while two others are still missing. The Indian Army is looking for survivors," he added. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to say that "all possible efforts are being made to rescue the passengers". "Saddened by the boat accident in Assam. All possible efforts are being made to rescue the passengers. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being," the PM tweeted. Read: Another Indian Oxygen Express arrives with 200 MT of medical oxygen Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, meanwhile, directed officials to act against all single-motor boats that often carry passengers beyond their seating capacity. "I am pained at the tragic boat accident near Nimati Ghat, Jorhat." A probe has been ordered into the accident, the disaster management official said.