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Published : 15 Jun 2026, 03:14 AM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Advisor Zahed Ur Rahman has decided to return home after facing an "unpleasant incident" at New Delhi airport.
He is choosing to fly back in protest against the "disrespectful" behaviour of the Indian immigration authorities.
A report by Indian media outlet News18 on Sunday said that after being held and interrogated at the airport for a considerable period, the immigration authorities did eventually grant him permission to enter India. However, Advisor Zahed refused to accept it.
Consequently, he made the decision to return to Bangladesh, according to reports published by Bangladeshi media outlets at midnight.
The incident has occurred at a time when reports have been emerging over different initiatives to improve relations between the two countries.
Citing sources close to the advisor, the online edition of the Daily Samakal said he decided to return to Bangladesh via another country directly from New Delhi airport.
The advisor was on his way back to the country at 1am. According to the report, he refused to enter India because the behavior of the Indian immigration authorities was inappropriate.
Jamuna TV, also citing sources, reported on the advisor's return home. It stated that the prime minister's information advisor faced an unexpected situation at Delhi airport.
Following a lengthy interrogation by the immigration authorities, he eventually requested the return of his passport himself and prepared to catch the next flight back to Dhaka.
Citing diplomatic sources, Prothom Alo said the advisor was returning home via Colombo. He is expected to arrive in Dhaka around Monday afternoon.
Samakal wrote that he had travelled from Dhaka to Delhi on Sunday to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) conference.
He chose to return in anger following the discourteous treatment he experienced there.
The two-day conference is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on Monday.
News18, however, reported that he was held and interrogated by immigration authorities for a significant period at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Citing sources, the Indian media outlet said Indian immigration authorities briefly stopped him at Delhi airport because his name appeared on a security-related watchlist.
The report noted that the advisor had arrived in India as part of a delegation to attend an official meeting.
Immigration officials flagged his name during routine checks, and he was subsequently held for verification.
According to the report, the issue stemmed from an apparent administrative error.
While Zahed’s name had previously been removed from a social media-related blacklist, it allegedly remained on the immigration watchlist, triggering the security alert upon his arrival.
Officials later permitted him to enter India after the discrepancy was identified and resolved.
There was no immediate official statement on the matter from the authorities of either India or Bangladesh, News18 said.
The report concluded that the circumstances behind the inclusion of his name on the watchlist and why it remained in the immigration records, remain unclear.
