Global turmoil demands foreign policy anchored in nat'l interests: Shama
The state minister said Bangladesh is also facing the consequences of the unfolding global turmoil.
Foreign State Minister Shama Obaed Islam has said growing strategic rivalries, regional conflicts and complex global order underscore the need for a foreign policy that responds to emerging realities while safeguarding Bangladesh's national interests.
"In this interconnected world, a crisis in one region has far-reaching and lasting consequences for others," she said, noting that geopolitical rivalries among major powers can shape trade flows and limit the strategic choices of countries far beyond their immediate neighbourhood.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (Biiss), Shama said the evolving global landscape had made the discussion particularly timely, reports UNB.
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Highlighting the impact of ongoing conflicts, she said Bangladesh was also facing the consequences of global turmoil. Referring to recent attacks in Saudi Arabia, she said two Bangladeshis had been killed over the past two days, while at least 24 others were receiving treatment at hospitals there.
"We are actually living in a global turmoil," she said.
After the seminar, Shama told journalists that Bangladesh would extend necessary assistance to Saudi Arabia if the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah faced security threats amid the regional conflict, reports BSS.
She said the security of the two cities carried deep religious and emotional significance for Muslims worldwide, adding that Bangladesh, as a Muslim-majority country, shared their concerns.
However, she clarified that Bangladesh had not formally joined the proposed Makkah Pact.
Asked whether Bangladesh might send troops to Saudi Arabia under the arrangement, she said, "Since Bangladesh has not joined the Makkah Pact, the question of sending troops under that arrangement does not arise at this moment."
Her remarks came amid repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.
Bangladesh has strongly condemned attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure and expressed solidarity with the Saudi government and people.
Shama said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had also sent a letter to the Saudi Crown Prince conveying Bangladesh's position.
Asked about unrest in Delhi amid reports of cross-border push-ins, Shama said Bangladesh had no assessment on the matter at present. "This is an internal matter of India, and India will deal with it," she said.
