Bangladesh PM Adviser Detained at Delhi Airport Over Remarks

New Delhi: An incident involving Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser on policy and strategy affairs to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has sparked diplomatic tensions following his detainment at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. The adviser was stopped upon arrival because his name appeared on an immigration watchlist due to previous anti-India statements.

Zahed Ur Rahman was leading Bangladesh's delegation to an Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting, officially notified to Indian authorities over 60 hours before his arrival. Notably, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M. Riaz Hamidullah, was present to welcome him.

Historically, Zahed Ur Rahman has been vocal in criticising India, accusing it of supporting an undemocratic political system in Bangladesh under the prior leadership of Sheikh Hasina. He has labelled India as the “primary enemy of Bangladesh’s future and democracy.” Over the years, his critiques have been widely disseminated through various platforms, including a YouTube channel titled “Zahed’s Take,” where he has amassed around 700,000 subscribers.

In multiple videos posted between 2023 and 2026, Rahman has made claims that India manipulates narratives and treats Bangladesh more as a subordinate than an equal partner. He argues that India's involvement has led to a democratic decline in his country’s governance. His comments included characterisations of Bangladesh as being treated like a “vassal state” or a “colony” of India, implying a lack of respect for Bangladesh's sovereignty.

Upon detainment, Rahman expressed his disappointment to Bangladeshi media, stating that he felt ill-treated during the verification process, which lasted over two hours. He remarked, “If they had an issue with me, they should have solved it beforehand or objected to my visit.”

Following the incident, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman labelled the situation as “unexpected and regrettable” and summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner, Pawan Badhe, to express Dhaka's concerns.

Arriving with a regular passport and a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) visa for the IORA conference, Rahman’s detention raised questions regarding the communication between immigration authorities and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India. Diplomatic sources indicated that his name had been on a blacklist generated by the MEA in 2025 due to his previous remarks.

Despite being granted a one-time exemption after the watchlist issue was flagged, Rahman ultimately decided to abandon his visit and return to Bangladesh. This incident comes at a crucial time for India-Bangladesh relations, which are currently navigating a complex landscape marked by both recent improvements and historical grievances.

Tensions between the two nations had escalated following the ouster of Hasina in August 2024 but saw some thaw after Tarique Rahman took office in February 2026. Yet, issues such as illegal immigration and past political remarks continue to strain communications between the neighbouring countries, underlining the ongoing challenges in their diplomatic partnership.