Silchar, Nov. 28 -- The Assam assembly on Thursday passed the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, which bans the act in the state. The new law prescribes a maximum punishment of 10 years' imprisonment for offenders, and up to two years' imprisonment for parents, priests, quazis and others who facilitate such marriages. The bill was placed before the assembly on November 25, and was taken up for discussion on Thursday, when it was passed. As per the Bill, any individual who already has a living spouse or whose previous marriage has not been legally dissolved will be barred from contracting another marriage. The legislation also criminalises concealing an existing marriage while entering into a subsequent one. Opposition parties including Raizor Dal and the All India United Democratic Front opposed the bill, arguing that polygamy is already prohibited under the BNS and that Assam does not require a separate law. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We are gender-biased and protecting women from these kinds of age-old rituals with the help of law is important," he said. Sarma said the judicial system already has provisions against polygamy, but the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 shields Muslim men from these provisions, necessitating a separate state law. "We have studied Islam's provisions and found that the Quran itself says monogamy is the law and polygamy is an exception. There are specific conditions for entering a new marriage, which most men do not follow while marrying multiple times. Our law is not against Islam but for humanity," he said. The bill provides for compensation to women affected by polygamous marriages and empowers the state government to notify rules for enforcement. The law applies even to Assam residents who enter into polygamous marriages outside the state. Non-residents performing polygamous marriages within Assam are also liable....