Dhaka Sees No Risk in Joining Mecca Defence Pact, Saudi Arabia and Turkey Positive

State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir has said, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are positive about Bangladesh joining the Mecca defence pact, while Dhaka sees no risk in joining the alliance. Asked about the risks of Bangladesh joining the alliance, he said, “There is no point in worrying about dying before thinking about survival.”

The state minister made the remarks during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday (August 30).

Last Thursday (August 27), Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, responding to a supplementary question during the question-and-answer session of the third session of Parliament, said Bangladesh’s decision to join the Mecca Pact would depend on the intentions of the member states. If they express their intention to include Bangladesh in the pact, the country would certainly consider it positively.

The foreign minister said the Mecca Pact is a self-defence mechanism for the global Muslim community. He said the pact was concluded among three countries and that Bangladesh views it positively. However, the question of joining or not joining it has not yet arisen, as this depends on the intentions of the existing members.

The defence pact among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey came into effect on August 7. Under the agreement, an armed attack on any one member state will be considered an attack on all the other member states.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said if the three countries under the Mecca Pact express their intention to include Bangladesh, Dhaka would certainly consider the matter positively. “We will certainly take these issues into consideration,” he said. However, he noted that if the pact expands and becomes a mechanism for the self-defence of the global Muslim community, there should be no reason for others to be concerned, as it is an internal matter among Muslim countries.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy visit to State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Sunday (August 30).

During the meeting, the state minister said Bangladesh-China relations are now at their highest level of strategic partnership. As part of this, the two countries are set to begin diplomatic and defence dialogues, although the dates have not yet been finalised.