Denied entry to Delhi, PM’s adviser on the way to Dhaka via Colombo
Prime minister’s adviser on policy and strategy Zahed Ur Rahman left Colombo for Dhaka on a SriLankan Airlines flight on Monday morning after being denied entry into India. According to the Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo, the flight is expected to arrive in Dhaka before 12:00 pm.
Government sources in Dhaka said authorities are seeking detailed information about the incident involving the adviser’s denial of entry at Delhi airport. Further steps will be determined after establishing exactly what transpired there on Sunday.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Delhi told Prothom Alo that despite prior notification through a diplomatic note, Indian immigration authorities prevented Zahed Ur Rahman from entering Delhi on Sunday evening for what was described as “mysterious reasons.”
Although permission was later granted following instructions from higher authorities, the adviser chose not to enter India and instead departed for Dhaka via Colombo.
Zahed Ur Rahman left for Colombo on an Air India flight on Sunday night and arrived in the Sri Lankan capital early Monday morning. He then departed for Dhaka at around 8:00 am.
Sources said the adviser serving as the prime minister’s adviser on Information, Broadcasting and Culture, arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday evening to attend a two-day meeting of senior officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, scheduled to begin in Delhi on Monday. He was expected to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.
According to officials, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi had formally informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday that the adviser would participate in the meeting as head of the Bangladesh delegation.
However, after landing in Delhi on Sunday evening, he was reportedly kept waiting by Indian immigration authorities for about two and a half hours for unexplained reasons.
During that time, officials did not clarify whether he would ultimately be permitted to enter the country. Faced with the uncertainty, Zahed Ur Rahman decided to return home.