Bangladesh on Monday summoned India’s deputy high commissioner in Dhaka to protest the treatment meted out to the Prime Minister’s adviser, Zahed ur Rahman, at Delhi airport.

Rahman was held back at immigration for a couple of hours while trying to enter India to attend a meeting hosted by the external affairs ministry. He had a government invite.

Rahman was leading Bangladesh’s delegation for the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association beginning Monday as the Prime Minister’s adviser for policy and strategic affairs.

The rest of the delegation was allowed to enter, but Rahman got permission two hours later. By then, he had decided to return to Dhaka via Colombo. There was no official explanation from either the external affairs ministry or the home ministry on why Rahman was held back, but it is being said that his name had appeared on a security-related watchlist.

Rahman was not travelling with a diplomatic passport, United News of Bangladesh (UNB News) said. He was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi (green) passport with a Saarc visa.

According to the Bangladeshi media outlet Prothom Alo, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry communicated Dhaka’s “strong dissatisfaction” over the “unexpected incident” to Pawan Badhe, India’s deputy high commissioner.

Earlier in the day, UNB reported that Bangladesh’s foreign minister Khalilur Rahman had described the incident as “unexpected and unfortunate”, adding that appropriate steps were being taken.

Speaking to reporters at the ministry, he said: “It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate too.”