Dhaka signals interest in Mecca Pact
Bangladesh is considering joining a Saudi Arabia-led economic and defence framework that could deepen its strategic and economic links with key Muslim-majority economies, while potentially opening new avenues for trade, investment and security cooperation.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir (now State Minister for Foreign Affairs) said Bangladesh was open to joining the Mecca pact, provided any decision served the country’s national interests and reflected changing global economic and trade dynamics.
The position marks another significant development in Dhaka’s evolving foreign policy and comes amid strains in Bangladesh-India relations.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the joint defence pact in Mecca earlier this month, formally committing to treat “an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against them all”.
“Bangladesh maintains a positive approach towards the possibility of joining an economic or defence framework involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, taking into account its own interests and the changing dynamics of the global economy and trade,” Kobir said in an interview with the media on Thursday.
For Bangladesh, closer engagement with the three countries could potentially expand trade and investment opportunities, strengthen economic partnerships and create additional avenues for cooperation in defence and strategic affairs.
Any decision, however, would be assessed in light of Dhaka’s broader national interests and the changing global economic environment.
Kobir also discussed the government’s renewed engagement with Pakistan, describing stronger ties with Islamabad, particularly in trade and people-to-people connectivity, as normal diplomatic engagement.
Relations with China, meanwhile, have reached “a new height”, he said.
Bangladesh is seeking deeper engagement with Beijing while avoiding geopolitical pressure, pointing to the countries’ “Two Plus Two” mechanism and comprehensive partnership.
Tarique’s India visit remains uncertain
Against this backdrop, Kabir said a high-level bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India was unlikely at present, arguing that there was no justification for rushing into such a trip without sufficient progress on issues of national interest.
“There is no justification for rushing into a top-level visit by going beyond the national interest,” he said.
The uncertainty comes as political divisions in Dhaka, both within the government and among political parties, have complicated Bangladesh’s India policy.
Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has also emerged as a key issue in discussions over Tarique’s proposed visit to New Delhi.
Political sources in Dhaka had earlier told ThePrint that a bilateral visit by Tarique was unlikely in the coming months unless India moved beyond what they described as “symbolic outreach”.
Kobir similarly indicated that the future direction of Bangladesh-India relations, including a possible visit by Tarique, would depend partly on a change in New Delhi’s approach.
“The neighbouring country must properly understand the reality of Bangladesh’s July mass uprising, which took place through the sacrifices of more than 1,500 people,” he said.
Hasina remains key point of friction
A central source of tension remains Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following the mass uprising that ended her rule.
Kobir criticised New Delhi for allowing Hasina to use Indian territory for political and media activities.
“After the fall of autocratic rule through the July mass uprising, in which more than 1,500 people sacrificed their lives in Bangladesh, providing political or media space in India to fascist Sheikh Hasina, who fled there and took shelter as a criminal, is contrary to India’s democratic etiquette,” he said.
He said such activities had angered millions of Bangladeshis and argued that India could not justify them under international diplomatic norms simply by invoking freedom of expression.
Kabir said Dhaka also wanted greater clarity about the nature of the relationship New Delhi intended to establish with Bangladesh’s new government.
“The possibility of the prime minister visiting India ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit remains slim unless an appropriate environment is created based on consensus between the two countries on specific issues and a dignified invitation,” he said.
The adviser’s remarks underline Dhaka’s broader effort to diversify its diplomatic and economic partnerships while maintaining engagement with major regional powers.
The potential Mecca Pact membership, closer ties with Pakistan and deeper engagement with China are emerging alongside the unresolved issues with India, signalling a more interest-driven approach to Bangladesh’s foreign policy.
