Bangladesh will positively consider joining the recently signed Mecca Defense Pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan if the member states formally propose its inclusion, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said Thursday.
Responding to a question from independent MP Rumeen Farhana during the third session of the 13th parliament, Khalilur said Bangladesh’s inclusion was not currently under discussion.
“It depends on the intent of the member countries. If they express interest in including Bangladesh in this pact, the government will positively consider the matter,” he said.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh viewed the agreement positively but that the question of joining had not yet arisen because no formal proposal had been made.
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“This pact has been signed among three countries. We are viewing this pact positively,” Khalilur said. “The issue of joining or not joining has not arisen yet, as it depends on the intent of the pact’s members. If they express an intention to include Bangladesh, we will certainly consider it positively.”
He said it was too early yet to assess the pros and cons of joining the pact, before Dhaka receives a formal invite to join it, adding that the government would consider all relevant aspects.
Khalilur also suggested that the pact could eventually take on a broader role if more countries joined.
“If the pact is expanded, it is a self-defense arrangement for the Muslim community worldwide,” he said. “This is an internal matter of the Muslim family, so there is no reason for others to be concerned about it.”
Similar comments were made earlier this week by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, who said Bangladesh viewed the “Mecca Defense Pact” positively and that it would not be unusual for Dhaka to participate in such an initiative among Islamic countries.
Kobir also said Bangladesh’s foreign policy had entered a new phase, with the government seeking to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations while increasing the country’s global visibility and influence.
