DHAKA: A discussion is underway in Bangladesh on the potential of joining the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, officials say, citing a “positive position” toward a framework involving Saudi Arabia.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement is a new defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, which was signed in Makkah on Aug. 7, 2026, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The pact joins three main military powers in the region. Pakistan has the world’s fourth-largest active-duty military personnel and is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed country. Saudi Arabia has substantial economic resources, regional influence, and defense infrastructure, while Turkiye is a NATO member with a large military and domestic defense industry.
One of the main provisions of the framework is a collective-defense commitment, stipulating that “any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” according to statements released by the three sides, which have also signaled openness to additional members.
The possibility of Bangladesh joining the pact has been making the rounds in local and regional media over the past few days, but “there is no policy-level decision yet,” Shama Obaed, state minister for foreign affairs, told Arab News on Sunday.
