NCP positive about ‘Mecca Pact’

National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan said that the party views the ‘Mecca Pact’ positively, while stressing that Bangladesh’s foreign policy must be guided by national interest and strategic balance.

He also alleged that a syndicate linked to the BNP had become active again in fixing air-ticket prices for overseas travel, causing migration costs and the cost of living to rise.

Asif made the remarks at a press conference at the airport on Monday morning after returning home from Saudi Arabia following his performance of Umrah.

Asked by journalists about the benefits Bangladesh could derive from the ‘Mecca Pact’, Asif said the NCP was monitoring the matter closely through its sub-committee.

The Mecca Pact, also known as the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, is a tripartite defence arrangement involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.

Asif said Bangladesh should maintain relations with all countries without allowing closer ties with one party to prejudice its interests with another state or region.

“Bangladesh must keep its door open to maintain relations with everyone. At the same time, any commercial or military agreement must be concluded in a manner that protects Bangladesh’s national interests,” he said.

He said maintaining national interest alongside global strategic balance should constitute a key principle of Bangladesh’s foreign policy.

Turning to the overseas employment sector, Asif alleged that the syndicate controlling airfares had become active again after the BNP came to power.

He said airfares to Saudi Arabia had declined during the interim government but had risen substantially since the change of government.

“During the interim government, the price of air tickets to Saudi Arabia had come down to around $350, or about Tk40,000. Currently, the price of the same ticket has reached Tk60,000-70,000, and even Tk80,000, due to the manipulation of the syndicate,” he said.

“New syndicates and extortion have become active in different sectors of the country. As a result, the cost of living of ordinary people is increasing abnormally,” he added.

Citing the Malaysian labour market as an example, Asif said Bangladeshi workers were facing significantly higher migration costs than workers from other countries.

“Compared with workers from other countries, Bangladeshi workers have to spend up to Tk800,000 to go to Malaysia. This is by no means a level playing field or a fair situation,” he said.

He called for effective measures to reduce the cost of overseas migration and curb the influence of middlemen and syndicates in the labour market.