Dhaka, Aug. 1 -- Fourteen countries, including Bangladesh, have reportedly expressed their support for a multinational maritime defense alliance headed by Saudi Arabia and welcomed the consensus reached on its foundational arrangements.

The current signatories are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have announced the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to Al Jazeera.

In a statement published on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said the ...