Updated on Tuesday, January 06, 2009, 00:00 IST

New Delhi, Jan 06: The Centre has decided to extend the ceasefire agreement with the banned NDFB till June 30 this year after delaying it for almost a week due to alleged involvement of the outfit in Assam serial blasts in October.

"The agreement of suspension of operations with NDFB has been extended by six months," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters here on Tuesday.

Gogoi said it had been made clear to the NDFB that they would have to abide by the ground rule with letter and spirit and should not engage in violence.

"If they involve in any violence in future we will be forced to take action against them," he said.

The Suspension of Operations (SoO) lapsed on December 31, 2008 and even after a few rounds of talks among the Home Ministry, Assam government and the NDFB, decision kept hanging in limbo because of alleged involvement of the outfit in the October serial blasts in the state.

The SoO agreement between NDFB and government started from June 1, 2005 after nine years of violence in the state allegedly sponsored by the outfit. Since then the SoO were repeatedly extended by both sides.

The NDFB was formed on October 3, 1986 with the purported objective of securing a "sovereign Bodoland" in the areas of north of Brahmaputra under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary.

Bureau Report