Mesut Ozil in Dhaka: World Cup-winning German footballer attends programme at DU
Minhaj Uddin, health affairs secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu), confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
World Cup-winning German footballer Mesut Ozil visited the Dhaka University campus today (18 February) to inaugurate a new project at the university's Shahid Mohammad Murtoza Medical Centre.
Minhaj Uddin, health affairs secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu), confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
It is known that the Turkish development agency, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (Tika), has been assisting the university administration in several development works at the medical centre. Ozil's visit to the campus is primarily linked to the inauguration of the project.
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The inaugural ceremony of the programme was chaired by the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Niyaz Ahmad Khan. The chief guest was Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan, son of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Special guests included pro-vice-chancellor (Administration) Professor Saima Haque Bidisha, treasurer Professor M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Tika President Abdullah Eren, Turkey's Ambassador to Bangladesh H E Ramis Sen and Ducsu Vice-President Abu Shadik Kayem, among others.
In her welcome speech, Professor Saima Haque Bidisha said the medical centre provides healthcare services to nearly 40,000 students, 2,000 teachers, 5,000 staff members and their families.
She noted that a large number of people depend on the centre, creating high demand and expectations for its services.
She added that due to limited budgets and infrastructural constraints, it is not always possible to provide services as required. In this context, the renovation of the medical centre building, the provision of modern medical equipment and the supply of an ambulance with Tika's support will make a significant contribution to improving healthcare services.
In his speech, Bilal Erdogan, said that the long-standing friendly relations between Turkey and Bangladesh are reflected in the medical centre modernisation project, which serves as a symbol of this partnership.
He further said that Turkey is keen to expand cooperation with Bangladesh in education, research, and human resource development. He expressed hope that collaboration between Dhaka University and various Turkish universities would strengthen friendship, mutual understanding, and fraternal ties between the peoples of both countries in the future.
