‘Returned home in instant protest’

Prime Minister’s Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman yesterday said he decided to return from Delhi airport in an immediate protest against the treatment he received at the hands of Indian immigration authorities.

“I did not go there as an individual, but as a representative of the government. Therefore, what happened to me required an instant protest. That is why I decided to return,” he told the weekly press briefing at the Secretariat.

He stressed that his decision was not intended to create a retaliatory or hostile situation.

“I felt a message needed to be sent both at home and abroad that this is not Sheikh Hasina’s government -- this is a government with a public mandate.”

Emphasising that Bangladesh does not seek hostility with any country, he said, “We do not want a bad situation with any country under any circumstances. I hope this incident will not affect future relations between the two countries.”

His comments came a day after he returned to Dhaka via Colombo following what Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman described as an “unexpected and regrettable” incident.

Zahed travelled to India to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, held in New Delhi on June 15-16 and organised by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry had informed the MEA of his visit through a note verbale.

Despite this, the immigration authorities at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport kept him waiting for about two hours after he landed there around 3:30pm on Sunday.

Following intervention by the Bangladesh High Commission, Indian authorities cleared him for entry. However, Zahed declined to enter India and flew back home  via Colombo on Monday.

The same day, the foreign ministry summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and conveyed its displeasure over the matter.

The ministry is investigating the incident and will take appropriate measures after establishing the facts, Khalilur said.

The Indian authorities had been informed in advance about his participation in the event.

At the weekly press briefing, Zahed said, “If they had any concerns about me, they could have addressed them before my visit.”

Asked why he travelled on a regular passport rather than a diplomatic one, he dismissed the suggestion that it had any bearing on the incident.

“I was carrying a Saarc visa, which also has diplomatic significance. I don’t think this is a passport issue. A diplomatic passport is a privilege, not a requirement.”

He rejected allegations that the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi had been negligent, saying High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah had actively engaged with Indian officials throughout the episode.

“Our high commissioner was with me from the beginning to the end,” he said, adding that Hamidullah remained at the airport until his departure around midnight.

The foreign ministry is in communication with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, and the government will decide its next course of action after reviewing the matter, he said.

The episode appears to be a fresh irritant in Bangladesh-India relations, which have shown signs of improvement after the BNP-led government took office.

Responding to a question, Zahed said he would have no objection to visiting India in future if proper procedures are followed.

Quoting the proverb “Friends may change, but neighbours cannot”, he said it applied equally to Bangladesh and India.

The Daily Star last night contacted Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, for official comments on the incident.

He said he was in Geneva and could not speak at the time. However, he advised sending questions, which this correspondent did via WhatsApp.

Jaiswal did not respond as of 12:40am today.