Bangladesh to positively consider joining Mecca pact if invited: Top diplomat

Bangladesh would consider “positively” if founding members of the Mecca Pact invite the South Asian nations, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament Thursday, Anadolu reports.

“Joining the pact or not has not come yet as it is subjected to the intention of the parties involved in the pact. If they invite Bangladesh to join then we will definitely consider it positively,” the foreign minister said.

He assured parliament that Bangladesh would assess the potential benefits before making any decision to join.

Calling the pact a self-defense mechanism for the Muslim world, Rahman said: “More importantly, we have to keep in mind it (Mecca Pact) is the world Muslim community’s self-defense mechanism. And this is our family’s, Muslim family’s internal matter. So, there is nothing for others to be concerned about.”

Separately, opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer (chief) Shafiqur Rahman said Thursday that joining the Mecca Pact was Bangladesh’s “own decision.”

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“If Bangladesh takes a decision in the interests and needs of the country and nation, no one else needs to suffer (worry about),” he said in a statement on on US social media company Facebook.

​​​​​​​Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca on Aug. 7, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the summit at Al-Safa Palace.

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