Staff Reporter:
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh sees no risk in joining the Mecca Defense Pact and it would not restrict Bangladesh’s engagement with other partners.
“This is a unique pact that, presenting new opportunities,” he told reporters yesterday at the for-eign ministry after Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah called on him.
Kobir added Bangladesh viewed the proposed pact “positively” while “we are currently holding dis-cussions on this matter, and those discussions are progressing positively with all bilateral part-ners”.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement or the “Mecca Pact” was officially signed on August 7, 2026 with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey being its partners so far.
Asked for comments about possible risks which Bangladesh might face if it eventually joined the proposed security arrangement, he said Dhaka would pursue an integrated and flexible foreign and security policy while maintaining balance in its international relations.
“A country like Bangladesh must approach foreign policy and security cooperation in a highly inte-grated and flexible manner, aligned with the dynamics of the current international political sys-tem,” he said.
Kobir said in line with the approach “we will balance our international relations” and Bangladesh’s possible entry into the defense alliance would pose no risk.
The state minister said engaging in one particular sphere of cooperation amidst current volatile and crisis-driven international political environment would neither limit Bangladesh’s foreign poli-cy options nor prevent it from cooperating with other alliances or partners.
“Entering into one specific sphere within yesterday’s volatile or crisis-driven international political climate does not mean you cannot contribute to other alliances or fields. It does not restrict your scope,” he said.
Kobir reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to international peace saying Dhaka would continue to engage wherever its experience and expertise could contribute to peace and stability.
“Bangladesh stands for global peace and stability, and wherever peace and stability are the prima-ry goals, Bangladesh will always be present,” he said.
Kobir last week held a series of bilateral meetings including with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and other senior officials during his Jeddah visit to join OIC’s 23rd Ex-traordinary Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM).
Asked if the proposed pact had figured in his discussions in Jeddah, Kobir confirmed that talks had taken place and added his interlocutors’ response was “positive, very positive”.
The state minister, however, said Bangladesh was yet to receive a formal invitation to join the pact.
“(But) When a formal invitation is extended, we will certainly inform you,” he said.
Kobir said Bangladesh’s positive attitude towards the pact was led by its longstanding role in Unit-ed Nations peacekeeping campaign and its internationally recognized experience in security opera-tions.
“Bangladesh is a huge contributor to international peacekeeping under the United Nations frame-work. Maintaining peace is not a new concept for Bangladesh; we have extensive experience and expertise in this area, and we are recognized globally for it,” he said.
Kobir added, “We do this (peacekeeping operation) all around the world, so why should we not do it for our Muslim brotherhood here”.
“We are not new to this field, nor are we novices in peace operations. We are experts, contributing one of the largest contingents to the UN peacekeeping system,” he said.
He said approaching such an initiative with a positive spirit to help address challenges facing the Muslim world was “not a bad thing at all” since Saudi Arabia is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
The state minister said discussions on the matter progressed constructively and let’s see how things develop as we engage further,” Kobir said.
Referring to his Jeddah engagements, Kobir said his meeting with the Saudi foreign minister was “very fruitful”, with the two sides also discussing trade, investment and potential defence coopera-tion.
He also held meetings with senior representatives of Qatar, Kuwait and the Maldives on the side-lines of the OIC meeting.
The state minister said Bangladesh’s “goodwill footprint” was now at the forefront in the Middle East and expressed optimism that Dhaka could translate it into stronger and more productive rela-tions with countries in the region.
