Kolkata: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is an internal matter of India but whatever happens in India tends to have “a ripple effect in Bangladesh”, said Bangladeshi author, human rights activist and film director Shariar Kabir here on Monday.

“Bangladesh government had described the Citizenship Amendment Act of India as an internal matter, but whatever is done here in India, there is a ripple effect in Bangaldesh — as in 1992, when Babri Masjid was demolished, in Bangladesh, 3,600 temples were razed as a reaction. It is on record in the minutes of

parliament,” Kabir said at a seminar organised by Indo-Bangladesh Forum for Secular Humanism. “It was done by BNP and Jamaat activists,” he added.

“Already, there are reports that fundamentalists are trying to terrorise Hindus in Jessore and asking them to leave for India, as they would get citizenship following CAA. This is very disturbing; we have informed the Bangladesh government,” Kabir said.

He urged the Indian government to think of the consequences of its actions on minorities in Bangladesh.

Kabir, however, added that the Hindu population in Bangladesh had bucked the dwindling trend since Partition and gone up now.

The 2011 data shows Hindu population in the neighbouring country to be 8.2%, but statistical data for 2018 shows their numbers had risen over 10%, the activist said. This is because many of a large number of Hindus who had fled Bangladesh due to constant riots between 2001 and 2006 had returned during the regime of Sheikh Hasina.

“Around 3 lakh Hindus had fled to India after riots in 2001 when BNP government was in power. Now, around 2.5 lakh of them have returned. The remaining 50,000 are unwilling to return. I have done research on them and they have no data, due to which they are facing difficulties in getting their children admitted to school. I appeal to the Indian authorities to arrange necessary documents as per UN protocol and hasten the process of CAA for them,” Kabir said.

“Secular forces are under threat whenever there is growth of fundamentalism in any part of the globe, as we are living in a global village. We apprehend there might be effects of it in Bangladesh,” he added.