Delhi closely watching Dhaka’s move
India is closely monitoring Bangladesh’s position on the Mecca Defence Pact and other developments that could have implications for its national security, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.
“We continue to follow all developments that have a bearing on our national security,” Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi in response to questions about recent comments by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on the Saudi Arabia-Türkiye-Pakistan defence agreement.
Jaiswal was specifically asked about Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s remark on Thursday that Dhaka would positively consider joining the pact if invited, as well as Kobir’s earlier comment on August 24 that Bangladesh viewed the initiative positively.
The comments have drawn attention in New Delhi as Bangladesh considers whether to join the defence arrangement signed this month by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan in Mecca.
The pact is based on the principle of collective defence, under which an armed attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all.
Jaiswal did not directly comment on whether India viewed Bangladesh’s possible participation as a security concern, but his remarks signalled that New Delhi is closely watching developments that could affect its strategic and security interests.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier said New Delhi takes into account developments involving countries that may not be favourably disposed towards India.
Speaking at an event hosted by The Economic Times, Jaishankar was asked whether the Mecca Defence Pact, signed amid recent military tensions between India and Pakistan, was a cause for concern for New Delhi.
He pointed to the existing security challenges faced by the countries that signed the agreement and questioned what practical difference the pact had made in addressing those situations.
“You refer to it as a defence pact. There are live military situations which each of the signatories face.
What has the Mecca pact done in response to that?” he said.
Bangladesh’s position on the pact has become increasingly clear in recent days.
On August 24, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Dhaka viewed the Mecca Defence Pact positively and that it would not be unusual for Bangladesh to consider participating in a security arrangement among Islamic nations.
“If there is a security arrangement among Islamic nations in the Middle East, it is not unusual for us to consider participating. It is being viewed positively,” Humaiun said.
He also said Bangladesh’s leadership, particularly Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, had been invited to participate.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said on August 27 that Bangladesh would positively consider joining the pact if it received an invitation.
A source in Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had invited Dhaka to join the pact, although the source did not specify when the invitation was extended.
The agreement was signed in Mecca this month by the three Sunni Muslim-majority countries.
It establishes a collective-defence framework under which aggression against one signatory would be regarded as aggression against all.
Bilateral ties remain sensitive
Bangladesh’s position on the pact comes amid strained relations with India, with the two neighbours facing a number of unresolved issues.
These include India’s alleged border push-ins and Dhaka’s request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since her ouster in August 2024.
Asked about the killing of four members of a Hindu family in Rangpur last week and the broader law and order situation in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said maintaining security and public order was the responsibility of the Bangladesh government.
India’s latest remarks underline New Delhi’s growing attention to Bangladesh’s emerging security and diplomatic engagements as Dhaka weighs participation in a regional defence arrangement involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
