New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS): Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP Shesh Paul Vaid said on Wednesday that people of Bangladesh will have to decide what type of governance model they want to be implemented in their country.

“Do they (Bangladeshis) want to live in a Sharia-ruled country? Do they want a future like Afghanistan? Remember, Bangladesh was a progressive country till now,” Vaid told IANS, reacting to reports that Bangladesh is headed for a Sharia-type governance model which will be headed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) chief Shafiqur Rahman.

Fearing Bangladesh could well be the next Pakistan in the making in India's troubled neighbourhood, several scholars and experts have also condemned the recent statements made by Shafiqur Rahman, in which he has openly backed the implementation of Sharia law in the country.

Vaid said that there are around 2.5 crore minorities in Bangladesh of which majority are Hindus.

“The minority there needs to decide what they want. Do they want to live under Sharia law where they will have no rights, or do they want to a separate country for themselves,” the former top cop said.

Media reports claim that there have been more than 200 incidents in Bangladesh where temples, religious crematoriums and other places of worship have been vandalised and attacked by mobs following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister on August 5.

The Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has said that they want to have ‘friendly’ relations with India.

“It is a positive news for us. If Bangladesh wants to have a good relationship with us, we would welcome it. But it is the people there who have to decide what type of governance model they want,” Vaid said.

“We have seen what has happened in Afghanistan. However, Afghanistan does not share a border with us. Let us see how things pan out in Bangladesh,” Vaid told IANS.

India and Bangladesh share 4,000 km borders and there have been many incidents of illegal migrants entering India.