India was aware of the growing anti-Sheikh Hasina wave in Bangladesh ahead of the violent ousting of the former prime minister on August 5, last year, The Hindu reports quoting Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar's statement to the Consultative Committee on External Affairs yesterday.

However, India was not in a position to do much as it lacked the necessary leverage over Hasina and could do no more than offer advice, Jaishankar reportedly told the first meeting of the committee in 2025.

In its report, The Hindu said it learnt that Jaishankar indicated that India — like a few other leading stakeholders — was aware of the tumultuous situation inside Bangladesh.

In this regard, he cited the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk's recent remarks about the UN warning the Bangladesh army against a confrontation with unarmed protesters during the anti-Hasina demonstrations, as such an action would prompt the UN to ban the army from peacekeeping operations, the report said.

The Consultative Committee on External Affairs members met Jaishankar for a discussion on India's foreign policy where the circumstances in the neighbourhood — especially in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan — dominated.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, who has hosted a series of international dignitaries, is scheduled to visit China, 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.
Jaishankar highlighted the role of "external actors" in Bangladesh, and mentioned that China was "not an adversary but a competitor".

Jaishankar also discussed the future of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), which has remained dormant since its last meeting in November 2014, the Hindu said in its report.
Islamabad was set to host the 19th SAARC summit in November 2016, but the event was called off after India withdrew its participation following the terror attack on its military installation in Uri on September 18, 2016. Since then, India has shifted its focus to cooperation under BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), casting doubts over the prospects of SAARC's revival.
However, during the briefing, Jaishankar hinted that "SAARC is not off the table" and that the regional grouping has been "paused", indicating the possibility of its revival in future.
The MPs also sought an explanation about India's move to counter China's growing influence in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, according to The Hindu.