Bangladesh Summons India’s Deputy High Commissioner After Prime Minister’s Adviser Stopped at Delhi Airport: ‘Deep Disappointment’ | Today’s news
An incident involving a senior Bangladeshi adviser to the prime minister at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport prompted Bangladesh to summon India’s deputy high commissioner Pawan Badhe on Monday to express its “deep disappointment”, according to media reports.
State news agency BSS said Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on political and strategic affairs and information and broadcasting, was stopped by immigration officials on Sunday evening after his name allegedly came up during a routine security check.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Shahidul Karim said Badhe visited the ministry on Monday afternoon where he was presented with a formal protest letter. Former Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman said that the government is looking into the issue and taking necessary measures in response.
“It’s an unexpected incident, also unfortunate,” he mentioned.
The Prothom Alo newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, said that Rahman, who was traveling to India to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Association, was questioned by immigration officials and made to wait for about two and a half hours after his name was flagged during security screening.
Indian authorities subsequently allowed him to continue his visit, according to BSS, citing sources. However, he decided to cut the trip short and return to Bangladesh.
Rahman for an ordinary passport rather than a diplomatic one?
Rahman, an adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister on political and strategic affairs, has previously made several statements critical of India, notably through his YouTube channel “Zahed’s Take”, which has been blocked in India, Hindustan Times reported, citing sources, who further said that this was the reason his name was placed on the watch list.
“He was detained by the immigration office for verification, given his previous statements about India. He was given a one-time waiver to enter India and was released, until then he decided to return to Bangladesh on another flight,” the source said.
A second person familiar with the matter noted that issuing a visa is a country’s sovereign prerogative rather than a right, the report said.
The person added that Zahed Ur Rahman was traveling on a regular passport, not a diplomatic one, and had not applied for an Indian visa separately. Instead, he entered using a SAARC visa issued by Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, a development that was allegedly not communicated to Indian authorities in advance.
Meanwhile, Rahman described the incident as “unexpected” and “unfortunate” and informed reporters in Dhaka that the government was taking necessary steps to deal with the matter.
He is widely recognized as a political commentator and has been a vocal critic of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her administration. He was appointed to the post on 17 February 2026 under the government led by Prime Minister Tariq Rahman.
