India was aware of anti-Hasina wave, couldn’t interfere: Jaishankar

India was aware of the growing anti-Sheikh Hasina sentiment in Bangladesh ahead of the overthrow of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, said India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Jaishankar conveyed this to the Consultative Committee on External Affairs on Saturday, adding that India had limited influence over Hasina and could only “advise” her. He noted that India lacked the leverage to take further action, reports The Hindu.

Jaishankar also referred to remarks by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk, who warned that any confrontation between the Bangladesh army and unarmed protesters during the anti-Hasina demonstrations could result in the UN banning the army from peacekeeping operations.

Members of the Consultative Committee on External Affairs engaged Jaishankar in a discussion on India’s foreign policy, focusing particularly on developments in Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Despite the interim Bangladeshi government initiating dialogue with India, relations between Delhi and Dhaka remain tense due to India granting asylum to Hasina. India engaged with the interim government by sending Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in December 2024. However, the Ministry of External Affairs remains silent on the possibility of a formal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok from April 2-4.

Yunus, who has hosted several international dignitaries, is set to visit China next. The two countries are expected to sign multiple agreements, including those on aviation links to enhance connectivity between Chittagong, Dhaka, and Chinese destinations.

Jaishankar emphasized the role of “external actors” in Bangladesh and described China as “not an adversary but a competitor.”