Bangladesh joins Saudi-led maritime defence coalition: Why the initiative, what are its goals?

Saudi Arabia has formed a multinational maritime defence coalition comprising 14 countries, including Bangladesh, after disruptions to its energy exports through the Red Sea. The alliance aims to ensure the safe and unrestricted movement of all types of vessels through the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence announced the initiative in a statement on Thursday. A senior Bangladeshi government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Prothom Alo on Friday that Bangladesh has joined the Saudi-led coalition.

According to a report by Arab News, citing the Saudi Defence Ministry, 51 countries were invited to discussions on the alliance, and 43 participated. Ultimately, the coalition was established with 14 members: Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Nigeria.

A diplomatic source in Riyadh told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh was represented at Thursday's meeting by Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD).

Several senior officials at Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also speaking anonymously, said Saudi Arabia had been discussing the proposal with Bangladesh for more than a month. Riyadh had initially hoped to bring at least 50 countries into the initiative, but the alliance was launched with 14 members.

A Bangladeshi government source said Dhaka decided to join after reviewing and discussing the Saudi proposal.

According to Al Jazeera, the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Arabian Sea. Among these, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is especially critical.

The strait is only 29 kilometers wide, yet 10 to 12 per cent of global maritime trade passes through it. Any disruption there has the potential to destabilise global trade and energy markets.

Saudi Arabia has faced precisely such a challenge. Since the outbreak of the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz—through which about one-fifth of global energy supplies previously passed—has effectively been closed to Saudi energy exports.

As an alternative, Saudi Arabia shifted exports to the Red Sea, transporting oil from refineries in the country's eastern region via pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

However, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement recently declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. Since then, Saudi vessels have come under Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden, threatening the kingdom's alternative export route. Riyadh's decision to establish the new coalition is widely seen as a response to these growing challenges.

According to the Saudi statement, the coalition's primary goals include ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden; safeguarding maritime routes stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean; and strengthening cooperation and coordination among member states to address maritime security threats.

The statement does not specify what types of naval or air assets member states will contribute, nor does it disclose the location of the coalition's headquarters in Saudi Arabia.

It does state that members will share intelligence and other information, jointly plan maritime operations, conduct military exercises, and carry out coordinated naval operations.

Much of Yemen's coastline along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is controlled by the Houthis, enabling the group to influence shipping through the chokepoint. Across the strait lie Eritrea and Djibouti.

Saudi Arabia may gain a strategic advantage from Djibouti's membership in the coalition. Nevertheless, the Saudi statement stresses that the alliance is intended as a defensive coalition and is not directed against any specific country.

Saudi Arabia has also left the door open for additional countries to join. Notably, a delegation from the European Union participated in the discussions.

However, the EU already operates its own maritime security mission in the Red Sea. It remains unclear how the Saudi-led coalition will complement—or differ from—existing European naval operations.

Security analyst Major General (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), believes Bangladesh's participation warrants careful examination.

He noted that Bangladesh has historically avoided joining military or defense alliances. With this being the country's first such participation, he said, Bangladesh must ensure it does not become entangled in any conflict.

He also observed that the Iran–United States war has deepened divisions across the Middle East. Given Bangladesh's extensive diplomatic, economic, and labor ties throughout the region, he argued that these broader strategic implications should be carefully considered.

Bangladesh previously joined the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in December 2015. Although it became a member of the 42-nation Muslim coalition, Dhaka did not send a full-fledged delegation to the alliance's headquarters in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia later urged Bangladesh to establish a more active presence and dispatch a permanent representative delegation.