Bangladesh Reported Ready to Join Mecca Pact
Bangladesh is reportedly considering joining the Mecca Mutual Defence Agreement positively if invited, stated Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman yesterday. This readiness emerges amidst potential friction with neighbouring India.
On 7 August, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed and enacted the Mecca Agreement, also known as the Mecca Pact. Based on a defence pact similar to the NATO model, an armed attack against one member would be considered an attack against all members.
The Daily Star reported that over the past week, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir and Shama Obaed informed the media that Bangladesh views the Mecca Pact positively.
Responding to a question from Brahmanbaria-2 constituency Member of Parliament, Rumeen Farhana, Khalilur stated that discussions regarding joining the pact or considering membership have not yet arisen, as Bangladesh has not yet received any offers from current members.
“It is still too early to discuss the pros and cons of Bangladesh joining the pact. If they express an intention to include Bangladesh in this pact, we will certainly consider it positively—we view this pact positively,” he said, adding that the government would consider all aspects.
If this pact is expanded, it would serve as a self-defence system for the global Muslim community. “And this is an internal matter of the global Muslim family. Therefore, there is no room for other parties to feel concerned about it,” he added.
Reuters analysis suggests that membership in a formal alliance could complicate Bangladesh’s relations not only with India but also with China, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, according to geopolitical analyst Kollol Kibria.
“These relationships will not immediately break, but once Bangladesh joins a military bloc, questions regarding which side Bangladesh supports will become much harder to avoid,” said Kibria.
This discourse arrives at a time when relations between Bangladesh and India—under the new administration which has been in power for six months—are in a sensitive state, despite efforts from both sides to maintain harmonious relations.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has not yet decided whether to visit India, according to his spokesperson this month, while Dhaka still awaits New Delhi’s response to the extradition request for Sheikh Hasina, the ousted former leader of Bangladesh who faces corruption allegations.
Previously, Dhaka has called for the need for a “conducive atmosphere” for such a visit after Hasina spoke to journalists in New Delhi this month—an action that drew criticism from within Bangladesh.