A vehicle convoy carrying former German football star Mesut Özil and Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, son of the Turkish President, collided with a motorised auto-rickshaw in Ukhiya on Thursday evening.
Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Shahpori Highway Police Station, confirmed that the incident occurred around 7:00 pm on the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf Road near Kutupalong, reportedly after the convoy broke VIP protocol.
No members of the delegation were injured, but the auto-rickshaw was badly damaged, and its driver sustained injuries. The injured driver received medical treatment locally. Police have seized the vehicle and launched an investigation, with legal action expected.
Earlier in the day, Özil and the Turkish delegation visited Rohingya camps. He played football with children and adolescents at Ukhiya’s Madhurchhara Camp and also visited a field hospital run with the support of the Turkish government. The day ended with iftar with camp residents.
The previous day, he had also attended the inauguration of the Shaheed Dr. Murtaza Medical Center at Dhaka University, a project under the Turkish aid agency TIKA.
