Bangladesh expressed strong disappointment to India on Monday after an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was detained briefly at New Delhi’s IGI Airport and later allowed entry. The adviser, Zahed Ur Rahman, decided against entering and returned to Dhaka via Colombo, according to local media. Dhaka summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and described the event as unexpected and unfortunate. The episode occurred as relations between New Delhi and the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government receive close scrutiny. Zahed Ur Rahman, traveling on an ordinary passport, was held for about two and a half hours during immigration checks before higher officials cleared him. He had come for an Indian Ocean Rim Association meeting but chose to leave instead. Bangladesh had notified Indian authorities in advance about the visit. Reports indicated his name appeared on a security watchlist. Indian officials have not commented publicly. The incident marks the first such case involving an official from the government that took office in February. Observers see it as a sign of a firmer Indian stance toward the new administration amid shifting regional dynamics.
