Guwahati, August 30: In a significant move, the Assam Legislative Assembly has abolished a long-standing British-era rule that granted a two-hour break on Fridays for Muslim MLAs to offer Namaz prayers.

The decision, taken unanimously by the assembly members, brings an end to the 12-2 PM break that has been in place since the British era. The assembly will now commence its proceedings at 9:30 AM every day, including Fridays.

This move comes on the heels of another significant decision by the assembly, which passed a bill making registration of Muslim marriages and divorces compulsory. The Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, aims to safeguard the rights of Muslim women and men and eliminate child marriages.

According to BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan, the decision to end the Namaz break was taken after studying the practices of other state assemblies and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, none of which offer such a break.