Now Reading: Bangladesh weighs joining Mecca Pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
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Bangladesh weighs joining Mecca Pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh weighs joining Mecca Pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh is considering joining the Mecca Pact, a mutual defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed this month. Junior foreign minister Humayun Kabir said Dhaka was viewing the possibility positively…
Bangladesh is considering joining the Mecca Pact, a mutual defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed this month. Junior foreign minister Humayun Kabir said Dhaka was viewing the possibility positively after an invitation to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. A source in Bangladesh's foreign ministry confirmed Saudi Arabia had extended the invitation.
The pact operates on collective defence: an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. For India, Bangladesh joining would be significant because Pakistan is a founding member. Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained under Rahman, with Dhaka accusing Indian border forces of pushing people across and seeking extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina. India's external affairs ministry said it is closely monitoring developments related to the pact.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Bangladesh has historically avoided formal military alliances, a posture rooted in its non-aligned founding principles. Joining a bloc with Pakistan would mark a sharp break, risking its deft balancing act between New Delhi and Beijing. India already sees the Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey axis as a challenge to its influence in West Asia. For Dhaka, the calculus is economic too: its $45-billion garment export industry depends on Western buyers who may view alliance with Turkey and Pakistan neutrally, but any perception of tilt toward a rival bloc could strain ties with its dominant neighbour. The foreign ministry's next signal to watch is whether Dhaka sends an official delegation to the formal invitation or defers a decision.
Source: timesnownews.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
