India was aware of anti-Hasina wave but could not interfere, says Jaishankar

India's Foreign Minister discusses regional affairs, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China, with Members of Parliament.

India was aware of an anti-Sheikh Hasina wave building up in Bangladesh ahead of the violent overthrow of the former Prime Minister’s government on August 5, 2024, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informed the Consultative Committee on External Affairs on Saturday (March 22, 2025).

However, India was not in a position to do much as it lacked the necessary leverage over Ms. Hasina who could only be “advised”, he told Members of Parliament.

The Hindu has learnt that Mr. Jaishankar indicated that India — like a few other leading stakeholders — had been aware of the tumultuous situation inside Bangladesh. In this regard, he mentioned the U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk’s recent remarks about the U.N. warning the Bangladesh army against a confrontation with unarmed protesters during the anti-Hasina protests, that such a move would prompt the U.N. to ban the army from peacekeeping operations.

The Consultative Committee on External Affairs members met Mr. Jaishankar for a frank discussion on India’s foreign policy where the circumstances in the neighbourhood — especially in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan — dominated.

While the interim government in Bangladesh has initiated dialogue with India, the Delhi-Dhaka relationship has been fraught with tension in view of India providing asylum to Ms. Hasina.

India has engaged with the interim government by sending Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in December 2024, but the Ministry of External Affairs is tight-lipped on a possible formal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Bangkok on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit on April 2-4.

Professor Yunus, who has hosted a series of international dignitaries, is on track to visit China next, where the two countries are expected to sign multiple agreements, including ones on aviation links that will increase connectivity between Chittagong and Dhaka and Chinese destinations. Mr. Jaishankar highlighted the role of “external actors” in Bangladesh, and mentioned that China was “not an adversary but a competitor”.