DHAKA: Bangladesh would consider joining the Makkah pact “positively” if invited by founding members, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament on Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.

“Joining the pact or not has not come yet, as it is subjected to the intention of the parties involved in the pact. If they invite Bangladesh to join, then we will definitely consider it positively,” the foreign minister said, assuring parliament that Dhaka would assess the potential benefits before making any decision to join.

“More importantly, we have to keep in mind that it [the Makkah pact] is the Muslim world’s self-defence mechanism,” he added. “And this is our family’s, the Muslim family’s, internal matter. So, there is nothing for others to be concerned about.”

Separately, opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Shafiqur Rahman said on Thursday that joining the Makkah pact was Bangladesh’s “own decision”. “If Bangladesh takes a decision in the interests and needs of the country and nation, no one else needs to worry about it,” he said in a statement on Facebook.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026