AFSPA extended in four Assam districts amid concerns over Bangladesh disturbances

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which designates regions as "disturbed areas" to facilitate security operations, has been extended for six more months in four districts of Assam. This decision follows concerns over recent unrest in neighboring Bangladesh and its potential impact on Assam's internal security, according to an official notification issued on Tuesday.

The districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar will remain under the AFSPA's purview, the notification stated. The act grants security forces extensive powers, including the ability to conduct operations and make arrests without prior warrants, along with providing them immunity in the event of operational mishaps.

While the security situation in Assam has markedly improved over the past few years due to proactive counter-insurgency measures, recent developments across the border in Bangladesh have prompted the state government to recommend the extension of AFSPA. The notification, citing reports from various agencies, noted that the potential "inimical effect" of Bangladesh's disturbances on Assam's law and order justified maintaining the "disturbed area" status in the four districts.

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"The Government of Assam recommends that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, be retained for another six months," the notification highlighted, reflecting the state's concern over external threats. This proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which approved the extension starting from October 1, 2024.

Since October last year, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar have been the only districts in Assam under AFSPA, with the act gradually being withdrawn from other areas. In 2023, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao were exempted, following the withdrawal of the act from several other regions earlier.

AFSPA, first implemented in Assam in 1990, has been extended biannually for over three decades. Despite calls from civil society groups and human rights activists to repeal what they describe as a "draconian law" due to alleged human rights abuses, the act remains in place to support counter-insurgency efforts in the region. 

The extension signals the government’s cautious approach amidst shifting regional dynamics, balancing the progress made in restoring peace with emerging cross-border threats.