Bangladesh protests questioning of PM adviser at New Delhi airport

DHAKA: Bangladesh has summoned a senior Indian diplomat in Dhaka to formally protest the treatment of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was stopped and questioned for several hours at New Delhi airport, in the latest strain in relations between the two neighbours.

Government strategy adviser Zahedur Rahman had travelled to the Indian capital to attend a conference when he was stopped on arrival. He was questioned for several hours before being allowed to continue.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described the episode as "unexpected and unfortunate"

Dhaka conveyed its concerns to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe late on Monday. There was no immediate response from India’s foreign ministry.

Ties remain sensitive

The incident comes at a delicate moment in bilateral ties. Relations improved after Tarique Rahman’s election victory earlier this year, but they have remained under pressure since the 2024 uprising that removed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from office.

Hasina has remained in India since then despite repeated requests from Bangladesh for her extradition. Bangladesh and India have also disagreed over Dhaka’s allegations that Indian authorities tried to send undocumented migrants across the border without following agreed repatriation procedures.

Border issue adds to friction

Dhaka has said its border guards prevented several recent push-in attempts and raised the matter during talks last week between Border Guard Bangladesh and India’s Border Security Force in New Delhi.

While the two sides agreed during those discussions to improve intelligence sharing and coordinate border patrols, the issue of migrants remains a continuing source of friction between them.