Bangladesh, Turkiye Set Up Joint Defence, Foreign Affairs Committee After Strategic Talks

Published 7 June 2026 · india

Bangladesh, Turkiye Set Up Joint Defence, Foreign Affairs Committee After Strategic Talks Published By, Last Updated: June 07, 2026, 19:00 IST The decision was announced

Bangladesh, Turkiye Set Up Joint Defence, Foreign Affairs Committee After Strategic Talks Published By, Last Updated: June 07, 2026, 19:00 IST The decision was announced following a meeting between PM Tarique Rahman and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was on a three-day official visit to Dhaka. Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Bangladesh and Turkiye have agreed to establish a joint ministerial-level committee on defence and foreign affairs, marking a fresh step towards deepening bilateral political cooperation between the two countries. The decision was announced on Saturday following a meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was on a three-day official visit to Dhaka. The move is aimed at strengthening structured engagement on security, diplomacy and strategic issues. Key outcomes According to the state-run BSS news agency, quoting the Prime Minister’s press wing, both sides agreed to form the joint committee to enhance cooperation in defence and foreign policy matters.

“Bangladesh and Turkiye have decided to form a joint committee at the ministerial level on defence and foreign affairs to strengthen bilateral relations," the state-run BSS news agency reported. They also decided to hold annual foreign office consultations between the foreign and defence ministers of Bangladesh and Turkiye to further institutionalise ties. Turkish Foreign Minister @HakanFidan paid a courtesy call on BNP Chairman and Hon’ble Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka today.The meeting focused on strengthening Bangladesh-Türkiye bilateral relations, expanding trade and… pic.twitter.com/oqI4H6uv66 — Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) June 6, 2026 The press wing said discussions covered a wide range of issues, including the Rohingya crisis, climate change, trade and investment, joint production, and broader regional and international developments. Rahman thanked Turkiye for its continued support to Dhaka, particularly for backing its candidate for the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly session and extended an invitation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time in near future.

Move towards strategic partnership Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his visit marked an initial step towards elevating Bangladesh–Turkiye relations to a strategic level. He also conveyed greetings from President Erdoğan to Prime Minister Rahman. Earlier, Fidan held bilateral talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage. The agreement was signed alongside Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, as per a statement from Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry. During his visit, Fidan also travelled to Cox’s Bazar to observe Rohingya refugee camps and visited humanitarian operations run by Turkish agencies, including TİKA, AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, as well as the Türkiye-Bangladesh Hospital. (With inputs from PTI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.