Adviser Zahed returned to Dhaka on own volition: India

Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman chose to return to Dhaka of his own accord after being questioned by immigration officials at New Delhi airport earlier this month, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said.

Speaking at a weekly media briefing on Tuesday, Jaiswal said Zahed was questioned by immigration officials and later allowed entry after confirming that the purpose of his visit was to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. However, he "chose to return to Dhaka on his own volition".

He also noted that Zahed travelled to India on a regular Bangladeshi passport with a SAARC visa.

The clarification comes days after Zahed was reportedly held for more than two hours at Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 14 while travelling to attend the international conference. Indian media reports suggested his name appeared on an immigration watch-list during screening, leading to additional questioning and delays in clearance.

Sources familiar with the matter said the incident may have resulted from an administrative error, as his name had reportedly been removed from a social media-related blacklist but remained on an immigration watch-list.

After the delay, Zahed travelled to Colombo on an Air India flight later that night and returned to Dhaka from Sri Lanka the following morning.

The incident prompted Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry to summon Indian Deputy High Commissioner and Chargé d'Affaires Pawan Badhe and formally express Dhaka's dissatisfaction over the treatment of the adviser.

Speaking at a press briefing on June 16, Zahed said his decision to return was an immediate protest against what he described as "harassment".