Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad today expressed concern over the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by Indian government as it will “encourage minority people to leave Bangladesh”.

The law may discourage the minority people to take part in non-communal democratic movement in Bangladesh, Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the oikya parishad, said at a press briefing this morning.

Citing a report by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic, Rana said the numbers of minority people have been increasing for the last several years and they want that the government play active role in this regard.  

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The minority community urged the prime minister to take steps to implement different pledges of their interest including zero tolerance against communalism, which were mentioned in the ruling Awami League’s manifesto ahead of 2018 election.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind last night given his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into a law amid violent street protests.  

It seeks to grant Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs, but not Muslims, who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before 2015.