Dhaka : Bangladesh on Sunday said it saw no downside to joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, asserting that membership would not restrict Dhaka’s engagement with other international partners. The remarks came days after Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told Parliament that Bangladesh would positively consider joining the pact if invited. He also described the matter as an internal issue of “our Muslim family”, saying there was no reason for others to be concerned.
Kobir said Bangladesh must approach foreign policy and security cooperation in a highly integrated and flexible manner, aligned with the dynamics of the current international political system”. He added that, in line with this approach, we will balance our international relations. Entering into one specific sphere within today’s volatile or crisis-driven international political climate does not mean you cannot contribute to other alliances or fields. It does not restrict your scope, he said.
Replying to an independent lawmaker in Parliament, Rahman said, “We view this pact positively.” He said the defence treaty was an “internal matter of our family, the Muslim family” and that “there is no scope for others to be concerned about it”. Replying to a separate question by a ruling Bangladesh nationalist Party lawmaker, he said Bangladesh now stood tall with dignity because of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s strong and successful foreign policy.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 amid increasing security concerns following escalating tensions in West Asia. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the pact after the Mecca Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, “We continue to closely follow all developments having a bearing on India’s security and take all necessary steps to safeguard it.” Foreign policy experts and former diplomats said Bangladesh’s willingness to join the pact marked a departure from its long-held doctrine of strict non-alignment and could complicate its foreign relations, particularly with neighbouring India.
Former ambassador and commentator Mahfuzur Rahman said the existing three partners were in military conflicts or could be involved in armed confrontations with other countries, while Bangladesh had little possibility of facing such a situation. “A military accord like the Mecca Pact could be important for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, but not essential in any way for Bangladesh,” he told PTI. He said Bangladesh could get involved in a war situation for “no justified reason” if it joined the pact, which “has an article on collective security”.
“If this is a military pact, then we have to examine how the security interests of all its members align with Bangladesh’s national security interests,” he said, adding that the country would need to understand how the inclusion of certain countries would affect its security, economic interests and broader strategic interests. Supporters of the pact, however, said the alliance would give Bangladesh strategic depth and strengthen national security.
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