Turkish origin footballer Mesut Özil has arrived in Dhaka to inaugurate a medical centre at University of Dhaka. The project has been fully funded by Turkey through its state development agency Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). The organisation has previously faced criticism from some analysts and political observers who allege that its international programmes have, at times, intersected with networks linked to Islamist political movements — a claim Turkish authorities deny.
During his visit, Özil is being accompanied by Bilal Erdoğan, son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Also travelling with the delegation is TIKA chairman Abdullah Eren. According to sources familiar with the visit, the group arrived in Dhaka on a private aircraft on Tuesday evening.
TIKA has previously organised visits involving Özil to Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh as part of humanitarian outreach initiatives. Turkish officials have described such engagements as part of broader development and relief cooperation between Ankara and Dhaka.
Dhaka University has long been a focal point of student political activity in Bangladesh, with multiple student organisations competing for influence on campus. Among them, Islami Chhatra Shibir — the student wing historically linked to Jamaat-e-Islami — has maintained a presence over the decades, though its activities have often been restricted or contested by rival groups and university authorities. Observers note that the campus remains symbolically important for all major political and ideological blocs seeking to shape student opinion.
