
Bangladesh summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner after PM's adviser Zahed Ur Rahman was stopped at Delhi airport for 2.5 hours over a watchlist flag. He cut short his trip and returned to Dhaka.
Bangladesh summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe on Monday and handed him a formal protest letter after an adviser to the prime minister was stopped at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport over the weekend.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim said Badhe visited the ministry in the afternoon to receive the protest. Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman called the incident "unexpected" and "unfortunate" and said the government was taking necessary steps.
Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Policy and Strategy Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, arrived at the airport on Sunday evening. He had traveled to India for the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported, citing diplomatic sources.
Immigration officials flagged his name during a routine security screening and questioned him for roughly two-and-a-half hours, according to state-run BSS. Indian authorities granted him a one-time exemption to enter the country, the report said. Rahman cut short the visit and returned to Bangladesh.
A source told Hindustan Times that Rahman's name was on a watchlist because of prior critical comments about India, including through his YouTube channel "Zahed's Take," which is blocked in India. A second person familiar with the matter said Rahman traveled on a regular passport, not a diplomatic one, and did not apply separately for an Indian visa. He entered using a SAARC visa issued by Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry, a development that was not communicated to Indian authorities in advance, the person added.
Rahman is a political commentator and has been a vocal critic of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her administration. He was appointed to his post on February 17, 2026, under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government.
The incident adds to recent strains in bilateral ties between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said it expects Indian authorities to ensure such incidents do not recur for officials traveling on official business.
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