A senior adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was briefly stopped by immigration authorities at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport before being granted clearance to enter India. However, after waiting for nearly two-and-a-half hours, the adviser, Zahed Ur Rahman, decided not to continue with his visit and instead returned to Dhaka via Colombo, according to reports in Bangladeshi media.
A senior adviser to Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka after being briefly stopped by Indian immigration authorities at New Delhi’s IGI Airport. (1/4)
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The incident has attracted attention because it is the first such case involving a senior official linked to Bangladesh’s BNP-led government, which assumed power only a few months ago.
Adviser was visiting India for IORA meeting
According to reports by Bangladeshi newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, Zahed Ur Rahman arrived in New Delhi on Sunday evening to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), being hosted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on 15th and 16th June.
Diplomatic sources quoted in the reports said that Rahman was stopped during immigration checks and was made to wait for more than two hours. Although Indian authorities later cleared his entry after intervention from higher officials, he chose not to proceed with the visit and returned to Bangladesh.
Reports said the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi had already informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs about Rahman’s visit through a diplomatic note sent on Friday. Bangladesh High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah had also reportedly spoken with Indian officials ahead of the visit.
Despite these preparations, Rahman was temporarily held at immigration.
Watchlist report and no official comment
According to The Daily Star, an Indian television channel reported that Rahman’s name had appeared on a “security-related watchlist” during routine verification procedures. The report also noted that he was travelling on a regular passport carrying a SAARC sticker rather than a diplomatic passport.
So far, Indian authorities have not issued any official statement on the matter.
The development comes at a sensitive time in India-Bangladesh relations as both countries adjust to a new political reality following the BNP government’s rise to power in Dhaka earlier this year.
Who is Zahed Ur Rahman?
Zahed Ur Rahman is considered one of the prominent figures in the new Bangladesh administration led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. A physician, columnist and political commentator, he previously served on the election reform commission established during the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.
He is well known in Bangladesh for writing and speaking on issues related to democracy, governance, elections and human rights.
The incident has gained additional significance because it comes at a time when Bangladesh is shaping its foreign policy under the new administration. Recent reports suggested that Tarique Rahman’s first foreign visit as prime minister could be to Malaysia rather than India or China, a move viewed by observers as an effort to maintain a strategic balance in the region.
At the same time, India has continued engagement with the new government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier sent Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to attend Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony and extended an invitation for him to visit India.
