Advisor to Bangladesh PM returns from Delhi airport; he says he was “humiliated” by immigration

Zahed Ur Rahman holds the rank of Minister of State in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government. File Photo: Facebook/Zahed Ur Rahman

After Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman returned from Delhi airport after what Dhaka described as “humiliating treatment”, official sources here said Mr Rahman was “detained” on Sunday night for “verification” because of his past belligerent comments on issues related to India.

Sources in Dhaka said Mr Rahman, who holds the rank of minister of state in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, was held for more than two hours before being allowed to enter Delhi, though he had since decided to return home.

Zahed Ur Rahman was scheduled to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) for which he traveled by Air India from Dhaka to Delhi on Sunday (June 14, 2026). A source privy to the events at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport said Mr Rahman, who is known to be a critic of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was stopped at the immigration counter. Immigration officials did not clarify the reasons for the delay.

Held at immigration

“At first the immigration officials stopped him without giving any explanation, and when he asked the reason, they said that everything was fine and that they were checking some details. The questioning of the immigration officials and the way they treated Mr. Rahman was not polite. He was made to sit on the sofa with other passengers, even though he deserved the state protocol because he has the rank of a state minister.” After more than two hours of waiting, Zahed Ur Rahman was informed that he was dismissed. However, Mr Rahman decided to return to Dhaka as he was disappointed,” the source added.

The Hindu was told that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke to Zahed Ur Rahman soon after the latter landed in Dhaka. He spent more than twelve hours in transit in Colombo because he could not be accommodated on the direct Delhi-Dhaka flight. The matter further deepened after Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Monday described the matter as “regrettable”. Dhaka was subsequently summoned by DCM Pavan Badhe.

But officials here pointed out that immigration authorities here were aware of his YouTube programs and his criticism of India’s treatment of Bangladesh over the years. “He arrived in Delhi to lead the Bangladeshi delegation to the 28th meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Committee of Senior Officials and was detained by immigration for ‘verification’ due to his previous statements about India.”

In support of the “verification” process, the officials said the authorities had looked at nearly ten pages of comments he had made on YouTube about India, saying, “(Despite his past criticism of India) Zahed Ur Rahman was granted a one-time entry waiver, by which time he had decided to return on a night flight.”

Zahid Ur Rahman is part of an influential group of individuals who were inducted into Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s team on the first day of his government on February 17 along with Humayun Kabir, Shamsul Islam, Mahadi Amin and Rehan Asif Asad. All five hold the rank of Ministers of State. Apart from five junior advisers, Prime Minister Rahman also appointed five veterans – Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Mohammed Ismail Zabihullah and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir – as advisers with full ministerial rank. These ten advisers were appointed as the “Prime Minister’s Advisory Team”, expected to advise him on various issues such as foreign affairs, security, broadcasting and information, health and economic affairs.

Published – 15 Jun 2026 23:23 IST