DHAKA (MNN); Bangladesh has said it would positively consider joining the Makkah Pact if formally invited by its founding members.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament on Thursday that no decision on joining the alliance had yet been made, as the matter depended on whether Bangladesh received an invitation from the member states.
“If Bangladesh is invited to join, we will certainly consider the proposal positively,” he said, adding that Dhaka would carefully assess the potential benefits and national interests involved before taking a final decision.
The foreign minister described the Makkah Pact as a possible self-defence mechanism for the Muslim world and said any decision regarding Bangladesh’s participation would be an internal matter for the countries concerned.
Separately, opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said that joining the pact was entirely Bangladesh’s own decision and that other countries should not interfere if Dhaka decided to act in accordance with its national interests.
Earlier this week, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh had expressed interest in the proposed security arrangement and was viewing the possibility of joining it positively.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye during a trilateral summit in Makkah on August 7.
The agreement commits the three countries to strengthening collective security, expanding defence cooperation and promoting peace and stability. Under its framework, an attack against one member state can be treated as an attack against all members.
The development follows earlier defence cooperation agreements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and comes amid growing efforts to establish a broader security framework among Muslim-majority countries.
The pact has received support from several countries, while Turkiye has indicated that further expansion of the alliance could be considered in the future.
