Days after Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s information and strategy advisor Zahid Rahman was stopped at Delhi airport, the country said New Delhi’s explanation was “unsatisfactory.”
“The explanation given by the Indian side regarding the incident was not satisfactory,” a Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson reportedly told state news agency BSS.
The spokesman described the incident involving Rahman as “unfortunate and regrettable.”
According to the official, the Indian authorities were informed in advance through diplomatic channels that Rahman would lead the Bangladesh delegation at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting.
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Rahman was scheduled to head the Bangladesh delegation before he was denied passage through Delhi airport earlier this month because his name appeared during a security check.
“He has been detained by the immigration department for verification, in view of his previous statements on India,” one of the people said on condition of anonymity, as reported earlier by HT. “He received a one-time exemption to enter India and it was approved, by which time he had decided to return to Bangladesh on another flight.”
Dhaka’s fresh response to the incident came a day after the Ministry of External Affairs announced that Rahman had been allowed to enter India after reaffirming the purpose of his visit, but he chose to return to Dhaka.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his weekly media briefing: “The advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh arrived in India on June 14 on a special passport carrying a SAARC visa, to attend the 28th meeting of the Senior Officials Committee of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.”
Jaiswal said Rahman was questioned by immigration officials at Delhi airport and then allowed entry after “reiterating that the purpose of his visit was to attend the aforementioned multilateral meeting.”
“But he (Rahman) chose to return to Dhaka of his own free will,” Jaiswal added.
Bangladesh had lodged a protest with India after immigration officials stopped Rehman at New Delhi airport.
Zahid Rahman is the Policy and Strategy Advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman. He has a history of making anti-India statements, especially on his YouTube channel ‘Zahed’s Take’, which has been banned in India, which is why his name is on the watch list.
Following the incident, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires, Pawan Badhe, and expressed its “deep disappointment” to him, according to a BSS report citing a ministry official.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described the incident as “unexpected” and “unfortunate” and said the government was taking appropriate steps.
Zahid Rahman later returned to Bangladesh via Colombo as there was no direct flight to Dhaka on Sunday evening.
(With inputs from PTI)
