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Published : 15 Jun 2026, 08:34 PM
The incident at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport involving Information and Broadcasting Advisor Zahed Ur Rahman is "unexpected" and "unpleasant", State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said.
Speaking to journalists at her office on Monday, she said: "We learnt about the incident through the media. What occurred is unpleasant, and we do not expect such incidents to happen."
"Our ministry is looking into the matter and holding discussions. Once we uncover the full details of the incident, we will certainly take action if steps are required," she added.
The advisor arrived at the airport on Sunday evening to attend a two-day meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which began on Monday.
He was scheduled to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the event.
However, Indian immigration officials reportedly kept him waiting at the airport for nearly two and a half hours. During that time, it remained unclear whether he would be granted entry into India. In the end, Zahed decided to return to Bangladesh.
According to a report by Indian news outlet News18, immigration officials questioned Zahed for an extended period before eventually allowing him entry into India. The advisor, however, declined to proceed with the visit.
He later decided to cancel the official trip and return home in protest against what he described as “discourteous treatment” and the prolonged delay.
Travelling from New Delhi to Colombo and then to Dhaka, he arrived at Shahjalal International Airport around 11:30am on Monday.
Zahed declined to speak to reporters waiting at the airport in Dhaka.
The incident unfolds at a time when reports suggest efforts are under way to improve relations between Bangladesh and India.
Questions have since emerged over why an advisor holding the rank of a state minister had to face such an embarrassing situation during an official foreign visit.
A foreign ministry official noted that the prime minister's advisor has not yet acquired a diplomatic passport (red passport) and travelled to India on a standard green passport using a SAARC visa exemption sticker.
Questions have also been raised over whether the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi failed to coordinate the visit properly. The mission has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Media reports, however, say that the Bangladesh High Commission had sent a diplomatic note verbale to India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday regarding the advisor’s official visit. Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah also reportedly spoke personally with the relevant Indian foreign ministry officials over the phone.
Despite these protocols, the reason for the harassment at immigration remains unanswered.
News18, citing sources, reported that the complications arose because Zahed’s name remained on an Indian security watch list. Immigration officials allegedly identified him upon arrival and temporarily detained him for questioning.
The report said the incident appeared to have resulted from an administrative error. Although his name had previously been removed from a social media-related blacklist, it was reportedly not deleted from the immigration database, triggering an alert when he arrived.
After officials identified and resolved the discrepancy, he was granted permission to enter India.
However, citing what he considered “inappropriate conduct” by Indian immigration authorities, the advisor requested the return of his passport and chose to return to Bangladesh abandoning the visit.
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Indian Acting High Commissioner Pawan Kumar Badhe on Monday to lodge a formal protest.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman also addressed the matter with journalists, saying: "This is an unwanted incident, and as you mentioned, it is indeed unfortunate. The foreign ministry is taking appropriate measures, and we will update you by the end of the day."
