Bangladesh has described India’s explanation regarding the airport detention of its Prime Minister’s adviser as “unsatisfactory”
Zahed Ur Rahman was stopped and questioned by immigration officials at Delhi airport due to a security-related blacklist before choosing to fly back to Dhaka
While Dhaka lodged an official protest over the lack of diplomatic clearance, India's MEA maintained that Rahman was eventually cleared for entry but left of his own volition
Delhi’s Explanation ‘Unsatisfactory,’ Says Bangladesh on Incident Involving PM’s Adviser
Dhaka labels India’s explanation over the airport detention of its PM’s adviser “unsatisfactory”, calling the incident "unfortunate and regrettable"
Summary
Bangladesh on Wednesday described India’s explanation regarding the detention of Zahed Ur Rahman, the Prime Minister’s Adviser for Information and Strategy, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport as “unsatisfactory”, stating that the incident was “unfortunate and regrettable”.
The diplomatic friction surfaced after Rahman, who was traveling to New Delhi to lead the Bangladeshi delegation at the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), was stopped by immigration authorities earlier this month.
According to media reports, his name had allegedly appeared on a security-related blacklist. Although he was eventually permitted to enter India after verification, he decided to fly back to Dhaka.
The state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson, reported that Dhaka had conveyed its concerns to New Delhi over the incident. The spokesperson emphasized that Indian authorities had been formally notified through diplomatic channels in advance regarding Rahman's travel and his role in the multilateral conference.
Bangladesh had also lodged an official protest with India prior to Wednesday's statement.
Offering New Delhi's perspective during a weekly media briefing, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Rahman had arrived in India on June 14 on a private passport carrying a SAARC visa to participate in the IORA meeting.
Jaiswal noted that while the adviser was questioned by immigration officials, he was allowed entry once his details were verified. “He, however, chose to return to Dhaka of his own volition,” Jaiswal said.
The IORA Committee of Senior Officials meeting, hosted by the MEA, proceeded in New Delhi from June 15–16 to discuss regional cooperation among member states.
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