Bangladesh expresses interest in joining Mecca defence pact

Bangladesh has expressed interest in potentially joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a mutual defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey on August 7. The country's newly appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humayun Kabir, stated that the government views the possibility "very positively," marking the first time a sitting Bangladeshi official has formally signaled such interest.

Kabir, speaking to local media on August 24, emphasized that no formal proposal has been made, but Dhaka is exploring closer strategic ties with Muslim-majority nations. "If there is a security pact among Islamic nations, it's not unnatural for us to be a part of it. Let's see. We're looking at it positively," he said. He noted that stakeholders in the Middle East and Muslim world have invited Bangladesh's leadership to participate.

The Mecca pact establishes a framework for collective deterrence, stipulating that an armed attack on any one of the three signatories would be considered an attack on all. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated the agreement is not limited to the trio and could expand to include other countries in the region for lasting stability.