Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh has joined a Saudi Arabia-led defence coalition for strategic reasons.
He said the move was intended to support cooperation against Houthi threats and strengthen strategic ties with Saudi Arabia.
Kabir said the decision should not be interpreted as an effort to exclude or target Iran.
He added that Bangladesh was also holding discussions with Iran.
Kabir described Dhaka’s relationship with Riyadh as special and said it would be developed as a strategic partnership rather than being confined to Hajj, Umrah or other pilgrimage links.
He said Bangladesh would respond if Saudi Arabia sought security assistance, citing what he described as spiritual and moral ties.
Speaking separately about relations with Washington, Kabir said US presidential special envoy Sergio Gor’s recent visit to Dhaka was introductory and exploratory.
Kabir said Gor met the foreign minister and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with trade, investment, technology, geopolitics and international issues among the subjects discussed.
He said no US objection to Chinese investment in Bangladesh was raised during those discussions.
Kabir said the government sought investment while maintaining balanced relations with China, the United States and other partners.