Row erupts over Dhaka–Delhi relations

India has said Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman was allowed to enter the country after being questioned by immigration authorities at New Delhi airport earlier this month, but subsequently chose to return to Bangladesh on his own.

The clarification came from Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, amid lingering diplomatic discussion over the incident involving the senior Bangladeshi official.

“He was queried by immigration officials and subsequently permitted entry to the country after reconfirming that the purpose of his visit was to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association,” Jaiswal said.

“He, however, chose to return to Dhaka on his own volition,” he added.
According to the Indian spokesperson, Zahed travelled to India using a regular Bangladeshi passport carrying a Saarc visa.

The remarks followed reports that the adviser was detained for more than two hours at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on June 14 while travelling to attend an international conference.

Indian media reports suggested that his name appeared on an immigration watchlist during routine screening, prompting additional questioning and delaying his entry into the country.

Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the incident may have stemmed from an administrative oversight.

Although Zahed’s name had reportedly been removed from a social media-related blacklist, it allegedly remained on an immigration watchlist, triggering the airport alert.

Following the delay, Zahed departed New Delhi for Colombo on an Air India flight later that night and returned to Dhaka from Sri Lanka the following morning.

The incident sparked a diplomatic response from Bangladesh. Dhaka formally expressed its dissatisfaction by summoning Indian Deputy High Commissioner and Charge d’Affaires Pawan Badhe to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bangladesh conveyed its concern over the treatment of the prime minister’s adviser and sought an explanation regarding the airport episode.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on June 16, Zahed described his decision to return home as an immediate protest against what he termed “harassment.”

“I felt there needed to be an immediate protest,” he said.
The adviser noted that Bangladesh had informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs about his planned visit at least two days before his departure.

Although Indian authorities later cleared him for entry and offered assistance to facilitate his participation in the conference, Zahed said he decided not to continue with the visit.

“I did not go there as an individual; I went as a representative of the government and the state. What happened to me there required an immediate response from our side, which is why I decided to return,” he said.

He also dismissed suggestions that the incident occurred because he travelled on a regular passport rather than a diplomatic one, arguing that possession of a diplomatic passport is not a prerequisite for official foreign travel.

At the same media briefing, the Indian government expressed concern over reports of the alleged desecration of Hindu religious images and idols in Bangladesh’s Gaibandha district.

Responding to a question from a journalist, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said India expected the Bangladesh government to ensure the security of minority communities and take action against those responsible.

“We have had reports about desecration of the images and idols of Hindu deities. We expect that the Bangladesh government would rein in extremists and guarantee the safety and security of minority communities in that country,” he said.

The comments came after members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community staged a protest in Dhaka on June 19, demanding the arrest and punishment of those involved in the alleged desecration of an image of Lord Ram in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha.

The latest developments add to a series of recent diplomatic exchanges between Dhaka and New Delhi, highlighting sensitivities surrounding bilateral relations, treatment of officials and concerns over minority rights.