Bangladesh has described New Delhi’s explanation over the brief detention of Prime Minister’s Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as “unsatisfactory”, escalating a diplomatic issue that surfaced earlier this month.

“The explanation provided by the Indian side over the incident was not satisfactory,” the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said the incident involving Prime Minister’s Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman was “unfortunate and regrettable”.

According to the official, Indian authorities had been informed in advance through diplomatic channels that Rahman would lead the Bangladesh delegation at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

BSS reported that Rahman was scheduled to head the Bangladesh delegation before being prevented from proceeding through Delhi airport earlier this month.

Dhaka’s remarks came a day after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Rahman had been allowed entry into the country after officials reconfirmed the purpose of his visit, but that he later decided to return to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh had earlier lodged a formal protest with India after Rahman was briefly stopped by immigration officials at the New Delhi airport more than a week ago, reportedly because his name appeared on a security-related blacklist.

Addressing the issue at his 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.”

Jaiswal said the Bangladesh PM’s adviser was questioned by immigration authorities at Delhi airport and was subsequently cleared to enter the country after “re-confirming that the purpose of his visit was to attend the said multilateral meeting”.

“He (Rahman), however, chose to return to Dhaka of his own volition,” Jaiswal added.

The Ministry of External Affairs hosted the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association in New Delhi on June 15 and 16.