Staff Reporter:
India is closely watching Bangladesh’s possible entry into the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, as Dhaka weighs whether to join the Saudi Arabia-led defence pact.
“We are closely monitoring all developments that have an impact on India’s national security. We are taking the necessary measures to safeguard the country’s security,” he said while briefing reporters at the weekly press conference in Delhi.
Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told Parliament that Bangladesh’s possible participation in the Mecca pact would depend on the wishes of its member countries.
He said Bangladesh would positively consider joining if the member states expressed interest or an intention to include it.
Meanwhile, Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said the agreement was still evolving and that its framework remained open to countries that shared its commitment to collective obligations and common security interests.
“As an evolving security architecture, the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement remains open to countries that share its commitment to collective obligations and common security interests. Any formal request will be considered in consultation with our partners in Riyadh and Ankara,” he said in response to a question at Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry’s regular weekly briefing on Thursday.
An analysis by Indian media outlet Firstpost said the joint defence pact among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan had raised new questions about Bangladesh’s strategic positioning.
Dhaka may not join the alliance directly, but closer defence cooperation could affect the security situation in the Bay of Bengal. It could also challenge India’s eastern strategic outlook and deepen Ankara-Islamabad influence in South Asia.
The briefing also saw questions about recent attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. Referring to attacks on two families in which members were killed, a journalist asked whether India was concerned that the Bangladesh government had failed to take, or was not taking, adequate action against such incidents.
In response, Jaiswal made no adverse remarks against the Bangladesh government. He said dealing with law-and-order situations was the responsibility of the Bangladesh government and that it should fulfil that responsibility.
