Despite the recent incident involving Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman in New Delhi, Bangladesh, the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), will participate in the BIMSTEC National Security Advisers’ meeting scheduled to be held in India.

Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam will represent Bangladesh at the meeting, and his participation has already been communicated to the Indian government through diplomatic channels, a diplomatic source told UNB.

India’s handling of the visit will be viewed as an “important consideration” for future high-level visits and other official engagements between the two countries, the source said.

The fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers’ Meeting will be hosted by India and is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Thursday.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bangladesh, as the current BIMSTEC chair, is obliged to participate in the meeting.

They said Bangladesh will closely monitor whether the host country, India, maintains international diplomatic norms and protocol during Shamsul Islam’s visit.

The Indian government has already been informed about the visit, and New Delhi has been requested to extend appropriate support to the Bangladesh delegation, including Shamsul Islam.

Bangladesh has recently described India’s explanation regarding the return of Prime Minister’s Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs Dr Zahed Ur Rahman from New Delhi as “unsatisfactory”, saying the incident at Delhi airport was both “unwanted and regrettable”.

“The Indian authorities were duly informed in advance through diplomatic channels that Dr Zahed would lead the Bangladesh delegation to the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting. However, the incident involving him at the Delhi airport is unwanted and regrettable,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) told UNB.

The spokesperson said the remarks made by the official spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the incident had been noted.

“The explanation regarding the return of Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Zahed from Delhi airport is not satisfactory,” the MoFA spokesperson said.