Will Bangladesh join the Mecca defense alliance?
While Bangladesh is weighing the risks of signing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, experts warn that such a move could complicate relations with neighboring India.
Speculation surrounds Bangladesh's potential inclusion in a mutual defense pact recently formed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed in early August, aims to bolster collective deterrence against aggression, with any armed attack on one of the three nations considered an attack on all. Experts believe this pact has already altered the Middle East and South Asia's geopolitical landscape.
Political science professor Navine Murshid from North South University in Dhaka told DW that while the pact is primarily about maintaining regional balance and advancing each country's interests, Bangladesh's potential membership could complicate its foreign relations, particularly with India. The two nations share a 4,096-kilometer border and have strong cultural and economic ties.
India, a rival of Pakistan, previously supported Bangladesh during its 1971 independence war. However, relations have strained since a violent student-led uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Hasina, now living in India, has been convicted in absentia for crimes against humanity during the uprising.
Bangladesh's current government, led by the center-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), supports the Mecca agreement. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the pact is viewed positively, but clarified that the question of Bangladesh's membership has not yet been raised, as it depends on the intentions of the pact's current members. India has expressed concerns about the pact's implications for its national security, stating that it is closely monitoring the situation.
Analysts advise Bangladesh to carefully weigh its interests before joining the pact. While military conflicts in South Asia are limited, the agreement's primary significance lies in strengthening bargaining power and maintaining one's position against other regional countries. Pakistan's interest in bringing Bangladesh closer is driven by geographical and political considerations, while India is concerned about Bangladesh's role in a potential India-Pakistan conflict.
Dhaka-based former diplomat M Humayun Kabir believes Bangladesh has no direct geographical rationale for joining such an alliance, given its location in eastern South Asia. Murshid emphasizes the importance of Bangladesh developing its own defense infrastructure and security systems sustainably, while Kabir warns that joining the pact could limit Bangladesh's geopolitical options.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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