Bangladesh has called upon a senior Indian diplomat stationed in Dhaka to express its discontent regarding the treatment of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was allegedly detained and interrogated for several hours at New Delhi airport. This incident marks the latest diplomatic tension between the two neighboring countries.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman characterized the event as “unexpected and unfortunate,” while Dhaka officially communicated its concerns to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe late on Monday.

Zahed Ur Rahman, a government strategy adviser, was halted upon his arrival in New Delhi, where he had gone to participate in a conference, and was subjected to several hours of questioning before being permitted to continue, according to officials.

India’s foreign ministry has not yet provided an immediate response.

This incident arises during a particularly delicate period in bilateral relations. Although ties have improved following Tarique Rahman’s electoral success earlier this year, relations have remained tense since the 2024 uprising that led to the ousting of former fascist prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has since stayed in India despite Bangladesh’s repeated requests for her extradition.

Additionally, the two nations have been in disagreement over Bangladesh’s claims that Indian authorities have attempted to forcibly push undocumented migrants across the border without adhering to established repatriation protocols.

Dhaka has reported that border guards have thwarted several recent “push-in” attempts and raised this issue during last week’s discussions between the Border Guard Bangladesh and India’s Border Security Force in New Delhi.

Although both parties reached an agreement during the discussions to enhance intelligence-sharing and coordinate border patrols, the issue of migration continues to be a point of contention between the neighboring countries.

SOURCE: WSN24 AND NEWS AGENCIES