Bangladesh has formally protested to India after a senior adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was reportedly detained and questioned for several hours at New Delhi’s international airport, in the latest sign of continuing diplomatic friction between the South Asian neighbors.
Dhaka summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe late Monday to convey its concerns over the treatment of government strategy adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, who had traveled to the Indian capital to attend a conference before being stopped by authorities upon arrival.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described the incident as “unexpected and unfortunate,” saying the government viewed the questioning of a senior official as a matter requiring an official diplomatic response.
According to Bangladeshi officials, Zahed Ur Rahman was questioned for several hours before eventually being allowed to continue his visit. Authorities did not disclose the reason for the questioning or whether any formal allegations were made against him.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately comment on the incident.
The episode comes at a delicate moment in relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. Although bilateral ties showed signs of improvement following Tarique Rahman’s election victory earlier this year, relations have remained complicated since the 2024 uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power.
Hasina has remained in India since leaving Bangladesh, despite repeated requests from the Bangladeshi government seeking her extradition to face legal proceedings at home. The issue has remained one of the most contentious points in bilateral relations.
Border management has also emerged as another source of disagreement. Bangladesh has accused Indian authorities of attempting to return undocumented migrants across the shared frontier without following established repatriation procedures agreed upon by both countries.
Bangladeshi officials have said border guards recently prevented several alleged “push-in” attempts involving undocumented migrants, prompting the issue to feature prominently during talks last week between Border Guard Bangladesh and India’s Border Security Force in New Delhi.
While both sides agreed during those discussions to strengthen intelligence sharing and improve coordination along the border, officials acknowledged that disagreements over migration management remain unresolved.
The latest diplomatic dispute underscores the fragile state of relations between the neighboring countries, despite ongoing cooperation in border security and other areas of mutual interest. Observers say both governments will likely seek to prevent the airport incident from derailing broader diplomatic engagement, but it adds another challenge to an already sensitive bilateral agenda.
