India Closely Watching Bangladesh’s Mecca Pact Move

India is closely monitoring developments surrounding Bangladesh’s possible participation in the Mecca Pact, particularly any implications for its national security, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Friday.

“Especially if it has a bearing on India’s security. We take all necessary measures to ensure our security,” Jaiswal said at the ministry’s weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

His remarks came in response to a question about Bangladesh’s reported interest in joining the defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir earlier expressed a positive view of the initiative, while Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said Thursday that Dhaka would consider joining the pact positively if its existing members expressed an intention to include Bangladesh.

Rahman, however, said no decision had yet been made on whether Bangladesh would join, as the matter would depend on the intentions of the pact’s current members.

The Mecca Pact was signed this month by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan and is based on the principle of collective defence, under which an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all members. Bangladesh has not joined the pact but has indicated that it could consider membership if invited.

India’s latest comments come amid heightened attention to the possible expansion of the pact. Analysts have warned that Bangladesh’s participation could add a new dimension to its relations with India, particularly because Pakistan is one of the pact’s founding members.

Jaiswal was also asked about recent attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, including the deaths of members of two families.

“Addressing the law-and-order situation is the responsibility of the Bangladesh government. They should discharge that responsibility,” he said.