Bangladesh summons Indian diplomat over ‘questioning’ Zahed Ur Rahman at Delhi airport — All we know

Bangladesh protested against the treatment of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was reportedly detained and questioned for several hours at New Delhi airport.

In the latest diplomatic row between the neighbours, the foreign ministry summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and expressed its "deep disappointment" over the incident.

Badhe arrived at the foreign office in the afternoon when he was handed over the protest letter, Foreign Ministry spokesman Shahidul Karim said.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described the incident as “unexpected and unfortunate”, while Dhaka formally conveyed its concerns to Badhe.

What happened?

Bangladesh government strategy adviser Zahed Ur Rahman was stopped upon arrival in New Delhi, where he had travelled to attend a conference, and was questioned for several hours before being allowed to proceed.

There was no immediate response from India’s foreign ministry.

Citing diplomatic sources, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported that Zahed, who was travelling to India to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, was questioned by immigration authorities and kept waiting for about two and a half hours after his name was reportedly flagged during the security check.

Although Indian authorities later allowed him to proceed with his visit, he decided to return home, BSS said, citing sources.

The adviser was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi passport with a SAARC visa and was not carrying a diplomatic passport.

Zahed is known as a political commentator and critic of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government.

Why are tensions high?

The incident comes at a sensitive time in bilateral relations. Although ties improved after Tarique Rahman’s election victory earlier this year, relations have remained strained since the 2024 uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has since remained in India despite repeated requests from Bangladesh for her extradition.

The friction stems from two major ongoing disputes:

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Standoff: Following the 2024 uprising that ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, she fled to India and has remained there since. Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition to face legal proceedings at home, but New Delhi has so far refused, creating a permanent layer of political distrust between the two administrations.

Border "Push-Ins" and Migrant Disputes: The two nations share a massive, complex border and are currently clashing over migration protocols. Bangladesh accused Indian authorities of trying to force undocumented migrants across the border into Bangladesh without following official repatriation procedures.

Bangladeshi border guards report having to actively block several recent “push-in” attempts. While the Border Guard Bangladesh and India’s Border Security Force met recently in New Delhi and agreed to improve intelligence-sharing and coordinate patrols, the core issue of undocumented migrant handling remains unresolved.