Bangladesh May Join a New Muslim Defence Pact

Bangladesh's government is thinking about joining a new defence agreement called the Mecca pact. The pact was signed in August 2025 by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan in the Saudi holy city of Mecca. A junior foreign minister named Humayun Kabir said the country is looking at the idea positively. Joining the pact could change Bangladesh's relationships with many countries around the world.

The Mecca pact works like NATO, the defence alliance used by many Western countries. Under the deal, if one member country is attacked, the others must treat it as an attack on themselves too. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are all countries where most people follow Sunni Islam. Turkey has said the pact is open to new members joining in the future.

Bangladesh is being invited to join at a tricky time. The country's relationship with its neighbour India has been tense lately. Bangladesh has accused Indian border forces of pushing people across the border by force. It has also asked India to send back former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since she was removed from power in August 2024.

Analysts — people who study political events — say joining a military alliance would be a big change for Bangladesh. The country has long tried to stay out of rival groups of powerful nations. This policy has helped Bangladesh attract business investment, grow its trade, and keep good relationships with many different countries. Joining a military bloc could put those relationships at risk.

Bangladesh's economy depends heavily on selling clothes to countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and those in the European Union. Money sent home by Bangladeshi workers living abroad, mostly in the Middle East, is also very important for the country. Geopolitical analyst Kollol Kibria warned that joining the pact could make things complicated with many nations, including China, India, Iran, Japan, Russia, and the US.

Professor Asif Shahan from Dhaka University said several countries — including India — would not be happy if Bangladesh joined the alliance. However, he also said that should not be the only reason for Bangladesh to say no. India's government said it is closely following developments in the region but did not say more. Bangladesh's leaders have not yet made a final decision about whether to join the pact.