PM's adviser Zahed Ur Rahman returns to Dhaka

Prime Minister's Adviser on Policy and Strategy, and Information and Broadcasting, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has returned to the country from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

He arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka via Colombo, Sri Lanka, around 11:30 am on Monday, June 15. However, when journalists at the airport asked him about the incident in Delhi, he declined to comment.

According to sources close to the prime minister's adviser, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman had gone to Delhi on Sunday to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) conference. However, after arriving there, he decided not to participate in the conference and return home due to 'discourteous' behaviour by airport authorities.

Sources told the media that the adviser, who holds the rank of state minister, was kept waiting for about an hour and was subjected to various types of questioning. Although immigration authorities eventually granted him permission to enter India after prolonged interrogation, he refused to enter the country, deeming the behaviour and attitude of the officials inappropriate. He immediately decided to return to Bangladesh via another country.

Meanwhile, Indian media, citing CNN-News18 sources, claimed that Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman's name was on India's security watchlist. During routine checks at Delhi airport, immigration officials identified him and temporarily detained him for verification.

A source in India told News18 that Zahed Ur Rahman was initially barred from entering Delhi due to an administrative error. After the discrepancy was identified and resolved, officials later cleared him to enter the country.

Notably, after the July uprising, the Indian government blocked the YouTube channels of several Bangladeshi influencers. Delhi claimed the content of those channels was anti-India. According to sources, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman's name was also on that list.