Now Reading: Bangladesh open to joining Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact
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Bangladesh open to joining Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact
Bangladesh is open to joining the Mecca pact, a joint defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir said. Speaking to The Business Standard, Kabir said Dhaka would consider the framework based on its own interests and changing global economic and trade dynamics. ThePrint reports that Kabir also said Bangladesh is deepening ties with Pakistan in trade and people-to-people connectivity, and that relations with China have reached 'a new height'.
Kabir ruled out a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India in the near term, saying there is 'no justification' for such a visit unless New Delhi changes its approach. ThePrint highlights that a key sticking point is India's sheltering of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after the July 2024 uprising. Kabir criticised India for allowing Hasina political and media space, calling it 'contrary to India's democratic etiquette' and said it has angered millions of Bangladeshis.
NDTV reports that Bangladesh's interest in the defence alliance comes amid strains with India over a Hasina event in New Delhi, even as both sides work towards resetting ties. ThePrint adds that the possibility of a Rahman visit before the BRICS Summit remains slim unless a 'dignified invitation' and consensus on key issues are achieved.
Indian Opinion Analysis
ThePrint's report is comprehensive, covering Bangladesh's multi-vector foreign policy, openness to the Mecca pact, closer ties with Pakistan and China, and the conditional stance on ties with India, and giving detailed quotes from Kabir. NDTV's report is shorter and focuses on the defence pact angle and the Hasina-linked strain. Both agree on the core news but ThePrint provides fuller context. Neither source adopts a strong editorial stance, both present the Bangladeshi official position as a matter-of-fact development. A careful reader should note that the 'openness' to the Mecca pact is tentative and conditional, not a firm decision, and that the India relationship remains the most contested variable. Watch for any movement on the extradition request for Hasina or a formal invitation from New Delhi before the BRICS Summit.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): theprint.in (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
