Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Saiful Alam on Monday demanded a statement under Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedure in Parliament over an incident in which Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman was reportedly prevented from entering India and kept waiting for two hours at a Delhi airport.
Raising the issue on a point of order in the House, he said the adviser was not initially allowed to enter India despite the submission of the necessary diplomatic communication.
“Yesterday (Sunday), our Prime Minister’s Information Adviser was not allowed to enter India. As far as I know, despite proper diplomatic correspondence, he was kept waiting for two hours at Delhi’s Indi-ra Gandhi International Airport,” Saiful Islam said.
He alleged that although permission was eventually granted, the adviser decided to return to Bangladesh instead of proceeding with the visit.
Questioning whether there had been any diplomatic failure on Bangladesh’s part, the lawmaker urged the government to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident and sought a ministerial statement under Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedure.
“I demand a statement from the minister concerned under Rule 300 on whether there was any diplomatic failure and what measures have been taken in this regard,” he said.
In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said the matter did not qualify as a point of order. “If a notice is submitted, it will be considered,” he told the House.
