Assam evicts Bengali Muslim families in Dhubri land drive

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

On Sunday, bulldozers flattened more than 600 homes in Alamganj Part-IX, a village in Assam's Dhubri district. The state says the land is government-owned and set aside for an industrial park. More than 4,000 people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, are now without homes.

The drive is the latest in a decade of evictions in Assam. The state calls them anti-encroachment operations. Residents say many families have lived there for decades and hold land revenue receipts. India's Supreme Court has required notices and hearings before demolitions since 2024.

Why it matters

Assam is testing how far a state can use land law to displace a minority group while courts weigh demolition safeguards.

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Key Indicators

4,000+

People displaced in Dhubri

Residents left without homes after the Alamganj Part-IX eviction.

640

Families whose homes were demolished

Scroll reported 640 Bengali Muslim families affected; other outlets gave higher estimates.

650 bighas

Land cleared in Dhubri

About 215 acres of government-owned land in Alamganj Part-IX.

20,387

Families evicted in Assam, 2021-2026

Documented eviction operations demolished more than 22,000 structures.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Chief Minister of Assam

Defends eviction drives as anti-encroachment measures

Dibakar Nath

Dhubri District Commissioner

Oversaw the Alamganj eviction

Ali Chand Fakir

Resident of Alamganj Part-IX

Displaced; living with relatives or in makeshift shelters

Organizations Involved

Assam government

State government

Carrying out eviction drives

The BJP-led state government says it is clearing illegal encroachments on public land.

Dhubri district administration

Local government

Executed the Alamganj drive

The district body served notices and deployed bulldozers in Alamganj Part-IX.

Supreme Court of India

Highest court of appeal

Issued demolition safeguards and contempt notices

India's top court set rules for demolitions in November 2024.

Timeline

May 2021 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Dhubri eviction leaves more than 4,000 homeless
Latest Eviction

Authorities clear 650 bighas in Alamganj Part-IX; 640 to 750 families displaced.
Yesterday
July 2025
Assam evicts 1,400 families for Adani power project
Eviction

Nearly 10,000 people displaced in Chapar revenue circle; land allotted to Adani Power.
July 2025
Contempt notice issued against Assam government
Legal

Top court issues second contempt notice over evictions in Muslim-majority areas.
July 2025
November 2024
Supreme Court sets demolition safeguards
Legal

Court requires 15-day notices, videography, written reasons and right to be heard.
November 2024
May 2021
Assam begins documented wave of eviction drives
Policy

At least 33 operations between May 2021 and 2026 demolish 22,000 structures.
May 2021

Scenarios

Assam expands evictions despite court safeguards

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Scroll and The New Humanitarian

The state has continued drives after Supreme Court directives and contempt notices. If it keeps clearing land for projects, more Bengali-speaking Muslim families will be displaced without rehabilitation.

Supreme Court halts a scheduled Assam eviction

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: The New Humanitarian and Siasat

The court has already issued contempt notices. A fresh petition from Dhubri residents could lead to an order stopping the next drive.

Dhubri evictees receive alternative land

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Scroll

The district administration has offered resettlement land in the past, but residents said it was low-lying riverbank. If authorities allocate usable land to most families, the displacement becomes less permanent.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1947

Partition of Bengal (1947)

The partition of Bengal split the region along religious lines and set off decades of migration. Many Bengali-speaking Muslims settled in Assam, often on flood-prone char lands.

Then

New borders and citizenship rules left many families with uncertain paperwork.

Now

The migration shaped Assam's land and citizenship politics for generations.

Why this matters now

The Dhubri evictees trace their presence to this period and later Brahmaputra erosion.

1982

Myanmar's Rohingya citizenship law (1982)

Myanmar's citizenship law excluded Rohingya from full citizenship, labeling them illegal immigrants. The designation preceded mass displacement and statelessness.

Then

Rohingya lost legal status and faced restrictions on movement and services.

Now

The law became a template for excluding a Muslim minority by calling it foreign.

Why this matters now

The New Humanitarian draws a direct comparison to Assam's 'illegal encroacher' label.

November 2024

Supreme Court demolition safeguards (2024)

India's Supreme Court issued directives after a series of arbitrary demolitions. It required 15-day notices, videography, written reasons and a right to be heard.

Then

The court said the executive cannot become the judge.

Now

Assam faced contempt notices but continued evictions.

Why this matters now

The Dhubri drive tests whether those safeguards have teeth.