For India, Bangladesh’s talk of joining ‘Islamic Nato’ raises red flags
Joining the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani security alliance offers Dhaka leverage, but could also threaten its non-aligned stance
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament on August 27 that Bangladesh was considering joining the Mecca pact, a security framework signed last month. Earlier reports citing unnamed sources said the invitation originated from Riyadh.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir also told reporters: “If there is a security arrangement among Islamic nations in the Middle East, it is not unusual for us to consider participating. It is being viewed positively.”
Under the agreement signed on August 7 in Mecca, an armed attack against any signatory is treated as an attack against all members – earning the arrangement the informal moniker “Islamic Nato.”