Bangladesh has little strategic need to join Mecca Pact formed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Bangladesh is unlikely to join the Mecca Pact, a grouping of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, because its security environment does not present the kind of immediate military threat that normally drives countries into collective-defense alliances.

Dhaka has said it would consider membership positively if invited, but foreign minister Khalilur Rahman’s own explanation points to a more cautious logic.

“As for the claim that this puts our neighbor India in some jeopardy, I have said before: this is an internal matter of the global Muslim family. This is not a matter of threatening anyone, nor is it about attacking anyone. This is about self-defense for our global Muslim family,” said Rahman. “Therefore, I see absolutely no reason for anyone to be perturbed, anxious, or concerned about this.”

Bangladesh has difficult issues with both India and Myanmar, but it is not facing an imminent conventional attack from either. Membership could therefore create new strategic obligations without answering a clear defense need.

Mecca Pact, whose full text has yet to be made public, reportedly treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three.