Dhaka:Bangladesh has described India’s explanation regarding the brief “detention” of Prime Minister’s Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as “unsatisfactory”. Speaking on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said the incident was “unfortunate and regrettable”, according to the state-run BSS news agency.
AdvertisementThe spokesperson said Indian authorities had been informed through diplomatic channels in advance that Rahman would head the delegation at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). But he was stopped by immigration officials at the airport earlier this month and could not go ahead with his planned visit.
AdvertisementBSS said Rahman was to lead the Bangladesh delegation but was prevented from continuing his journey at the Delhi airport.
MEA says Rehman allowed after ‘verifying’ his purpose of visitDhaka’s latest comments were made a day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India gave its own version of the incident. The ministry said that Rahman was allowed to enter India after officials confirmed the purpose of his visit but he then chose to go back to Dhaka.
Bangladesh earlier lodged a formal protest with New Delhi after Rahman was briefly detained at the airport. There were reports that his name was on some sort of security watchlist.
Responding to a question at the weekly media briefing MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "Advisor to the prime minister of Bangladesh arrived in India on June 14 on a private passport holding a SAARC visa to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
Immigration authorities questioned Rahman on his arrival but cleared him for entry, Jaiswal said. However, he (Rahman) decided to come back to Dhaka on his own," Jaiswal said.
The 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs at New Delhi on June 15 and 16.
The meeting reviewed the progress made in IORA’s institutional initiatives and priority sectors and advanced deliberations on the forthcoming IORA Action Plan (2028-2032). These discussions reiterated our common commitment to further enhance cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.
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