The Muslim world has condemned a reported drone incident near Makkah after Saudi Arabia said its air defence system intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle heading towards the city’s airspace on Wednesday night.
Riyadh claimed the drone was launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement and was attempting to target Makkah. The Houthis, however, denied the allegation and described it as a lie.
Bangladesh, like several other countries, strongly condemned the reported incident.
In a statement, the foreign ministry said Bangladesh “reaffirms its deep respect for the sanctity of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the other Holy Sites in the Kingdom, and expresses solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people in protecting those.”
“Bangladesh underscores that the safety and security of the Holy Sites must be fully respected and protected at all times,” it added.
The reported incident, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, has also revived questions over Bangladesh’s earlier pledge to provide military assistance if Saudi Arabia’s two holy sites come under threat.
Earlier pledge
Former foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali made the pledge at a press conference on May 18, 2017.
“We have said before, given the devotion and love for Masjid al-Haram and Al-Masjid an-Nabawī, if there are ever any threats to Makkah and Madinah, then if Saudi Arabia seeks help, we will definitely send soldiers over there. If such things happen, we will be prepared to provide military assistance,” he said.
A former diplomat who served in the Middle East said a change of government should not necessarily alter a state’s commitments.
“In diplomacy, the relationship occurs between states and if there is a change in the government, the position should not be changed,” he said.
Dhaka and Riyadh signed a defence memorandum of understanding in 2019 under which Bangladesh agreed to deploy thousands of non-combatant personnel, including doctors and engineers, to serve in Saudi Arabia.
The arrangement, however, was never implemented, the former diplomat said.
“It can be a good opportunity for Bangladesh to invoke the MoU and help Riyadh, which is a good friend of Dhaka,” he added.
The reported drone incident has therefore brought renewed attention to the scope of Bangladesh’s earlier commitment, although no decision to deploy troops has been announced.
