Bangladesh 'positively' weighs Mecca Pact membership, Opposition backs

Bangladesh will give "positive consideration" to joining the Mecca Pact, the trilateral defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, if its members propose bringing Dhaka into the framework, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman told Parliament on Thursday (August 27, 2026). The statement drew quick support from the country's main Opposition parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP).

Responding to a supplementary question from independent Member of Parliament Rumin Farhana during the third session of the 13th Parliament, Mr. Rahman said Bangladesh's accession to the pact was not currently under discussion. "If they express interest in bringing Bangladesh into this pact, the government will certainly consider it positively," he said. Ms. Farhana had asked what benefits Bangladesh stood to gain from joining the pact, signed on August 7, and whether Dhaka intended to do so.

The Foreign Minister said the government viewed the agreement as a positive development, but the question of membership had "not yet arisen" since no formal proposal had been extended. "The time has not yet come to weigh the pros and cons of the pact before a proposal for Bangladesh's inclusion is made," he said, adding that the government would take all aspects into account if and when such a proposal materialised.

Mr. Rahman also suggested the pact could, if expanded further, evolve into a collective self-defence mechanism for the wider Muslim world. "This is our family. This is an internal matter of the Muslim family. Others need not be concerned about it," he said. Replying to another supplementary question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh would use its presidency of the United Nations General Assembly to serve all 193 member states rather than pursue the interests of any particular country.

Opposition parties have voiced support for the government's stance. Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said on Thursday that any decision to join the Mecca Pact is entirely Bangladesh's own affair. "If Bangladesh makes a decision in the interests and for the needs of the country and its people, there is no reason for anyone else to feel suffocated by it," he added.

The National Citizen Party went further, welcoming the possibility of Bangladesh's entry outright. In a press release on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), the party said the pact could open avenues for political and military coordination and cooperation in defence technology, strengthening Bangladesh's security, trade and strategic ties with key countries in the Muslim world. The party cautioned, however, that any decision to join a collective defence framework should rest on a comprehensive assessment of the country's long-term national interests, security and strategic capabilities, rather than on political considerations or immediate diplomatic calculations.

The NCP, which led the July uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also said the global order was changing rapidly, with new strategic equations emerging in South Asia, the Middle East and the wider Muslim world. Given this, the country should pursue multidimensional and balanced international partnerships rather than one-sided dependence or isolation.

The government had signalled its interest even before Thursday's parliamentary exchange. On Monday (August 24, 2026), State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kabir indicated that Bangladesh had expressed interest in the pact, though no formal proposal had been made.