Bangladesh PM’s adviser returns from Delhi airport; says he was ‘humiliated’ by immigration

After Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman returned from Delhi airport following what Dhaka described as “humiliating treatment”, official sources here said that Mr. Rahman was “held” on Sunday evening for “verification” because he has a history of combative comments on India-related issues.

Sources in Dhaka said that Mr. Rahman, who holds the rank of a State Minister in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, was held for more than two hours before he was cleared to enter Delhi, though by that time he had made up his mind to return home.

Zahed Ur Rahman was scheduled to participate in the 28^th meeting of the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) for which he had travelled in an Air India flight from Dhaka to Delhi on Sunday (June 14, 2026). A source privy to events at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi said that Mr. Rahman, who is known for being a critic of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was stopped at the immigration counter. Immigration staff did not clarify the reasons for the delay.

Held at immigration

“At first immigration officials stopped him without providing any explanation and when he asked for a reason, they said everything was ok and that they were checking some details. The questioning by the immigration officials as well as the way they treated Mr. Rahman appeared short of courtesy. He was made to sit on a sofa with other passengers despite the fact that he deserved protocol as he has the rank of a state minister,” said the source in Dhaka. “After more than two hours of waiting, Zahed Ur Rahman was informed that he had been cleared. However, Mr. Rahman decided to return to Dhaka as he was disappointed,” said the source further.

The Hindu was told that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke to Zahed Ur Rahman soon after the latter landed in Dhaka. He spent more than twelve hours in transit in Colombo as he could not be accommodated on a direct Delhi-Dhaka flight. The matter was further amplified after Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Monday described the matter as “regrettable”. Dhaka subsequently summoned DCM Pavan Badhe.

Officials here, however, pointed out that the immigration authorities here were aware of his youtube programmes and criticism that he had levelled over the years on India’s handling of Bangladesh. “He arrived in Delhi leading a Bangladesh delegation for the 28^th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and was held by immigration for ‘verification’, given his previous statements on India.”

To support the “verification” process, officials here said that the authorities looked into nearly ten pages of remarks that he had made on youtube about India and said, “(Despite his past criticism of India) Zahed Ur Rahman was given a one-time exemption to enter, by which time he had decided to return by the night flight.”

Zahid Ur Rahman is part of an influential group of individuals who were inducted into the team of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the first day of his government on February 17 along with Humayun Kabir, Shamsul Islam, Mahadi Amin, and Rehan Asif Asad. All five hold rank of state ministers. Apart from the younger five advisers Prime Minister Rahman also appointed five veterans — Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Mohammed Ismail Zabihullah, and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir — as advisers with full ministerial rank. These ten advisers were appointed as “the prime minister’s advisory team” which is expected to advise him on various issues like foreign affairs, security, broadcast and information, health, and economic matters.