This has also thrown cold water on attempts by the authorities to transport the stranded shipment under police escort.
"Customs agents had been working on clearing the shipments that traders and other businesses were ready to take delivery of under on police escort," Bijaya Sah, the president of Birgunj Customs Agents Association, said. "Agitators are now issuing threats on us. There is insecurity and this is no environment to work under. Being seen entering the customs office is now risky," he added.
Except for petroleum products, there has not been any clearance issued from BCO in recent days.
Mitra Lal Regmi, the chief customs officer at BCO, said revenue collection, except for Rs 2 billion from the import of the petroleum products, has one flat while the Dry Port Customs Office has collected only Rs 390 million this Nepali month (Bhadra), which is almost coming to an end.
The government had set a revenue target of Rs 8.88 billion for the month from BCO and Rs 1.52 billion from the Dry Port Customs Office. Bandhas in the Tarai region has caused the government to miss Rs 8 billion in revenue so far.
Earlier on Monday, a meeting of district-level leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Force (UDMF) decided to take action against those who do not support their bandha.
The Federal Socialist Forum Nepal Parsa Chairman Pradip Yadav told Republica that UDMC took the decision after government officers -- including those at the customs office, agents -- and some industrialists and business people were seen to be 'not supporting' the group in its protests.
The three-day-long bandha enforced on August 13 has been continued till date.
The local administration has enforced a curfew the last ten days due to rising tensions in the Tarai region. They had also hoped to escort thousands of containers stranded over the border during the curfew.
"On one had there are threats from protesters, and on the other there's been warning from the Department of Customs that it will revoke our licenses if we stop working. We're caught between a rock and a hard place," Shah said.
Similarly, private sector representatives say they're bearing economic losses as well as fearing the agitators. "There is economic losses and threats for us. We have to do our business in this place so we cannot make any comments," Pradip Kedia of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
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