Ganatantrik Jukto Front condemns Bangladesh's participation in Saudi-led defence coalition

The Ganatantrik Jukto Front, an alliance of left-leaning political parties, has condemned and protested Bangladesh's participation in the multinational maritime defence coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

The position was conveyed in a statement signed by Rajekuzzaman Raton, central assistant general secretary of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (Basod), a partner of the alliance, on Monday afternoon.

The statement said Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence has formed a multinational maritime defence coalition with 14 countries, including Bangladesh, to ensure the security of commercial shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. While 51 countries were invited to the meeting to form the coalition, 43 countries attended, but most declined to join.

The Ganatantrik Jukto Front claims that joining a military coalition led by a party involved in Middle Eastern conflicts could pose risks to Bangladesh's security, trade and economy. It could also lead to unnecessary military expenditure.

The statement further said that joining this coalition could damage Bangladesh's balanced diplomatic relations with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. It also expressed concern that Bangladeshi commercial vessels could become targets of armed groups like the Houthis.

The leftist leaders alleged that participation in this US-backed coalition amounts to taking a stance against the struggles of the Iranian and Palestinian peoples and does not align with Bangladesh's long-standing non-aligned foreign policy.

They said despite having an elected parliament and government, no discussion was held in parliament or at the expert level before such an important decision, which is contrary to democratic norms.

The statement demanded that the government immediately withdraw from the 14-nation multinational maritime defence coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

The statement was signed by Ganatantrik Jukto Front central coordinator and Basod General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Sazzad Zahir Chandon, General Secretary Abdullah Kafi Raton, Bangladesh JSD President Sharif Nurul Ambia, General Secretary Nazmul Haque Pradhan, and other top leaders of various parties in the alliance.