Bangladesh calls India's Delhi airport explanation for adviser stop unsatisfactory

Bangladesh has rejected India's explanation for stopping adviser Zahed Ur Rahman at Delhi airport. The episode has sharpened diplomatic friction after Dhaka called the account unsatisfactory and regrettable.

In Short

• Dhaka said Indian authorities had prior diplomatic notice of Rahman's visit
• Zahed Ur Rahman was to lead Bangladesh at an IORA meeting
• Bangladesh termed the episode unfortunate, regrettable and diplomatically troubling for ties

Bangladesh on Tuesday said New Delhi's explanation over the airport trouble faced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's adviser was "unsatisfactory". The response came after India said the adviser was allowed to enter the country after officials re-confirmed the purpose of his visit, but he chose to return to Dhaka.

Dhaka described the incident involving Prime Minister's Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman as "unfortunate and regrettable". According to Bangladesh, Indian authorities had been informed in advance through diplomatic channels that Rahman would lead the country's delegation to a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association in New Delhi earlier this month.

"The explanation provided by the Indian side over the incident was not satisfactory," the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson. The spokesperson said the incident involving Rahman was "unfortunate and regrettable". BSS also reported that Rahman had been scheduled to lead the Bangladesh delegation before he was prevented from proceeding through Delhi airport.

Dhaka's reaction came a day after the Ministry of External Affairs said Rahman was permitted entry into India after "re-confirming that the purpose of his visit was to attend the said multilateral meeting". Bangladesh had earlier lodged a protest with India after Rahman was briefly stopped by immigration officials at New Delhi airport over a week ago because his name apparently figured in a security-related blacklist.

At his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Advisor to the prime minister of Bangladesh arrived in India on June 14 on a private passport holding a SAARC visa, to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association." He said Rahman was queried by immigration officials at Delhi airport and was later allowed entry after the purpose of his visit was re-confirmed. "He (Rahman), however, chose to return to Dhaka of his own volition," Jaiswal added.

The Ministry of External Affairs hosted the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association in New Delhi on June 15 and 16. The episode has since led to an exchange between Dhaka and New Delhi, with Bangladesh maintaining that India's explanation was not satisfactory and India saying Rahman had been cleared to enter before returning to Dhaka.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends