As Bangladesh mulls joining the Mecca Pact, voices of support for the move are growing within the country. With the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir meeting the Saudi Foreign Minister, there are reports that Bangladesh has been extended an invitation to join, which is likely to aggravate India’s regional security concerns.
Kabir, who was recently inducted into Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s cabinet, called on Saudi Foreign Minister HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 23rd OIC Extraordinary Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah. “During the meeting, HSM handed over a letter from the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh addressed to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Mohammed bin Salman.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the positive momentum in Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to elevating the partnership to a new height,” a statement from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said.
He also referred to the prospective high-level visits between the two sides in the near future. “The Saudi Foreign Minister stated that Bangladesh is among Saudi Arabia’s priority countries and underscored the importance of strengthening economic cooperation. “The Saudi Foreign Minister also commended the valuable contribution of Bangladeshi expatriates to the development of the Kingdom. HSM invited the Saudi Foreign Minister to visit Bangladesh at his convenience. Saudi Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, and senior officials from both sides were present at the meeting,” the statement added.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is a trilateral security pact signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan.
Kabir said a number of high-level visits have taken place between the two countries since the formation of the BNP-led government, creating fresh opportunities for advancing comprehensive cooperation across various sectors. He noted the growing interest of Saudi companies in Bangladesh and expressed interest in further expanding investment and business engagement,” the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry statement said. A source in the Bangladesh foreign ministry told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had invited Dhaka to join the pact, but did not say when the invitation was made. The source sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media, a Reuters report said. It establishes a collective-defense framework stating that an armed attack against any member will be treated as an attack against all three, according to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.
