Bangladesh wants to replicate ‘Kuwaiti model’ in developing defence relation with Saudi Arabia.
The negotiation to conclude a Saudi proposed framework deal on defence cooperation is almost complete and it is expected to be signed any time this year.
A senior government official seeking anonymity said, “Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia both show interest to develop defence ties but Dhaka has no intention to engage in any war.”
He said, Dhaka’s core policy was without the mandate of the United Nations, it would not engage in any war and the same principle was followed in Dhaka-Kuwait defence pact.
Dhaka and Kuwait signed a defence pact in 1997 and under a government-to-government arrangement about 6,000 Bangladeshi defence personnel are now working in different capacities there, he said adding, “We also help them in defence construction and provide logistic support.”
Bangladesh wants this type of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, he added.
In the last two years, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Saudi Arabia three times and the most recent one was in April when she attended a defence exercise where Bangladesh also participated.
Security Adviser to the Prime Minister Tarique Ahmed Siddique attended Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition held last November while army, navy and air force chiefs visited Riyadh this year.
Saudi Arabia has huge defence budget and it wants to have cooperation with like-minded countries like Bangladesh, said another official.
He said Riyadh and Islamabad had defence relation since long and Bangladesh should have had similar approach to make the bondage stronger.
Dhaka has joined Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition and taken part in different exercises including Gulf Sheild-1 in which 22 countries participated.