Bangladesh warned against joining ‘Makkah Pact’ military alliance

Bangladesh should carefully assess its national interests before joining the proposed “Makkah Joint Defence” pact involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as the alliance could draw Dhaka into military commitments unrelated to its security requirements, a report has warned.

An article in Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Observer argued that the central issue was not solidarity among Muslim-majority countries but whether membership of the proposed alliance would strengthen Bangladesh’s security and preserve its strategic autonomy.

Joining a military alliance would place some of the country’s future decisions in the hands of other members, the report said. While such an arrangement could initially appear attractive in the name of friendship, cooperation and collective security, its consequences would extend to Bangladesh’s sovereignty, economy, defence policy and diplomatic independence.

Dhaka must consider such a commitment carefully and avoid being drawn into what the report described as a “vicious trap”. Foreign policy, it added, could not be shaped by sentiment and must instead reflect geography, economic interests, defence capabilities and national priorities.

The report noted that Bangladesh currently faces no immediate military threat, whereas Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have different geopolitical concerns. Pakistan’s tensions with India, the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Turkey’s security calculations involving Israel do not necessarily correspond with Bangladesh’s interests, it said.

It also questioned whether the three countries would provide meaningful military assistance if Bangladesh faced aggression from Myanmar. The practical ability and willingness of distant allies to deploy troops or other support through the Bay of Bengal, the report argued, could prove far more important than assurances contained in a treaty.

Referring to the histories of alliances such as the Central Treaty Organisation, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation and NATO, the article said formal equality among members did not eliminate differences in military power, economic influence and strategic importance. ConsequentlyThat could leave smaller countries with obligations that outweigh the protection they receive.

The report also cautioned Dhaka against allowing its disagreements with India over border management, water sharing, extradition and trade to drive its security policy. Anti-India rhetoric, it said, was not a substitute for a coherent national strategy.

Bangladesh’s supplies of fuel, electricity, gas and fertiliser, as well as its access to water and trade routes, remain closely linked to its immediate neighbourhood. Treating India as an adversary while relying on distant powers for protection could weaken rather than enhance the country’s security, the report warned.

It further underlined that economic confrontation could sometimes cause greater harm than armed conflict, making stable regional relations essential to Bangladesh’s long-term national interests.

With IANS inputs