New Delhi: The impact of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) on Bangladesh could come up for discussion during the consular-level discussions between India and Bangladesh early next year as Dhaka fears mass migration from India due to CAB and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Sources in the Bangla-desh government told this newspaper that they are also upset with the provisions in Indian visa rules, which makes Bangladeshi Muslims pay nearly 200 per cent higher penalty for overstaying in India, compared to Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, Christian and Buddhist counterparts.
According to India’s Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) rules notified a year ago, the penalty for minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan for overstay of up to 90 days is Rs 100, for overstay from 91 days to two years it is Rs 200 and for more than two years is Rs 500.
Compared to this penalty for other citizens from all countries including that of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan for overstay up to 90 days and is $300 (`21,000), for overstay from 91 days to two years is $400 (Rs 28,000) and for overstay of more than two years is $500 (Rs 35,000).
Terming this as “discriminatory”, a senior Bangladeshi official said that there was a case where both Hindu and Muslim Bangladeshi cricketers overstayed but the Hindu was fined only Rs 100 while the Muslim had to pay Rs 21,000. Bangladesh is upset for being bracketed with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sources in the Bangladesh administration have also alleged that Indian immigration staff at land ports sometimes do not put immigration seal on the Bangladeshi citizens travel documents intentionally and levy huge fine on return. This issue will also be taken up during the consular meeting in Delhi.
Sources in Bangladesh administration said the move by India to bring CAB will have serious repercussions in their country. While some say it may lead to the harassment of minorities in order to grab their properties, others said this may lead to mass movement of Muslims towards Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh government is already wary of the repercussions of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on its country despite the Indian government constantly assuring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that the NRC is an “internal matter” and will have no impact on Bangladesh. But sources said that Bangladesh has already given refuge to Rohingyas from Myanmar and Dhaka is not ready for another exodus of Muslims towards it.
“India had recently claimed to have caught 59 alleged illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Bengaluru and had sent them to Kolkata. But we have not heard about them after that. Where are they? They have not been brought to our missions for verification and they have not been sent through diplomatic process,” sources said.
Bangladeshi officials fear that these 59 persons might have been sent to Bangladesh through land port without following official diplomatic procedure. Sources explained that at land borders there is an arrangement between India’s Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh to “push back” illegal entrants from both sides. Bangladesh fears that this “pushing back” in huge numbers after NRC and CAB can create a crisis in that country.
