Now Reading: Bangladesh open to joining Mecca pact on its terms: adviser
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Bangladesh open to joining Mecca pact on its terms: adviser
Bangladesh is open to joining the Mecca defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, taking into account its own interests and the changing global economy and trade, Foreign Affairs Adviser…
Bangladesh is open to joining the Mecca defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, taking into account its own interests and the changing global economy and trade, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir said on Thursday. The pact, signed earlier this month, commits the three signatories to treat an armed attack on any one as an attack on all.
Kabir also said a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India is not justified at this point. He criticised New Delhi for allowing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after the July uprising, to use Indian territory for political and media activities, calling it contrary to democratic etiquette.
Dhaka is strengthening ties with Pakistan in trade and connectivity, while relations with China have reached a new height, Kabir said. The future of Bangladesh-India ties, including a possible Rahman visit, depends partly on a change in India's approach and an appropriate environment, he added.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Mecca pact is a collective security arrangement among Sunni-majority states, and Bangladesh's potential entry would reshape South Asian defence alignments. Dhaka's pivot toward Beijing, Ankara and Islamabad, alongside its demand for Hasina's extradition, signals a deliberate distancing from New Delhi. The July uprising that toppled Hasina remains a sensitive domestic issue: over 1,500 deaths are cited as the movement's cost, making any perceived Indian hospitality toward her politically toxic for the current Bangladeshi government. With a BRICS summit on the horizon, the next signal to watch is whether India offers a formal, conditional invitation to Rahman or maintains current posture.
The immediate test will be the next foreign ministry-level contact between the two countries, which could set the tone for any future summit.
Source: theprint.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
