the National Assembly passed a stringent anti-terror bill after suffering two deadly Boko Haram attacks in a

the National Assembly passed a stringent anti-terror bill after suffering two deadly Boko Haram attacks in a month, including one in a bustling market in the capital N'Djamena. Lawmakers passed the law unanimously, with 146 votes for and zero against, including zero abstentions.
The government's draft law had raised fears among opponents and rights activists that it might be used to curtail freedoms, and legislators took its proposals much further, toughening sentences and giving the police greater powers in cases of suspected terrorism.
Beyond capital punishment for the most serious cases, penalties for lesser terror offences were increased to life from the current maximum of 20 years, and the duration for which suspects can be held by police without charge will be increased from 48 hours to 30 days, renewable twice.
Chad has taken steps to increase security since suicide attacks struck a school and a police building in N'Djamena in June, killing 38 people, and again in July, killing 15 in a market. Chad has helped spearhead a major regional offensive launched in early 2015 to fight the Nigerian militants, and it is now set to host the headquarters of a new, more efficient multinational task force created in the face of a fresh surge of attacks.