Bangladesh summons Indian envoy after PM adviser detained at Delhi airport

Bangladesh has formally summoned a senior Indian diplomat to log a protest against what it described as the "humiliating" treatment of a top adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was detained and questioned at New Delhi’s international airport.

The incident has triggered the first diplomatic standoff between the two neighbours since the new administration took office in Dhaka.

Zahed Ur Rahman, the Policy and Strategy Affairs Adviser to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, arrived at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday evening. He was scheduled to lead the Bangladeshi delegation at the 28th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials.

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However, upon reaching the immigration counter, Rahman was pulled aside after his name triggered an active alert on a security-related immigration watchlist. Despite the presence of Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah, who was at the airport and formally identified the adviser, Rahman was subjected to intense questioning and kept waiting for roughly two and a half hours.

Frustrated by the prolonged delay and the breakdown in ministerial protocol,  Rahman refused to proceed with his official visit once Indian immigration authorities finally granted him a clearance exemption. With no immediate direct flights back to Dhaka available late Sunday night, the adviser booked an onward flight via Colombo to return to Bangladesh.

Dhaka sends strong message

On Monday afternoon, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner and acting mission chief in Dhaka, Pawan Badhe. During the meeting, Bangladeshi officials conveyed the country's "strong displeasure" and "deep disappointment" over the airport hold-up.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman publicly condemned the episode while addressing journalists at the ministry, calling the treatment of a state-minister-ranked official as completely unwarranted.

"It is an unexpected incident, and unfortunate too," Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said, adding that Dhaka is taking appropriate diplomatic steps to address the breach of protocol.

While New Delhi has not released a formal public statement, Indian official sources indicated that the incident stemmed from an un-updated administrative registry. Rahman, who is also a prominent political commentator, reportedly had his name placed on a security blacklist in the past due to sharp, public commentaries on bilateral issues.

Indian sources clarified that while a social-media-related blacklist restriction had been cleared previously, his name remained active on the automated immigration watchlist. Officials further noted that because Rahman was travelling on an ordinary green passport with a

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) visa sticker rather than a diplomatic passport, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was not pre-notified of his exact itinerary to clear the system flag in advance.