Motorcades carrying Mesut Ozil, a former German World Cup champion, and Necmettin Bilal Erdogan, the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were involved in a traffic accident on Thursday evening while returning from Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.
The incident took place at approximately 7:00 pm on the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf highway in the Kutupalong area of Ukhiya, shortly after the delegation’s visit to the refugee camps. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among Ozil, Bilal Erdogan, or other Turkish delegation members.
However, an auto-rickshaw was significantly damaged after colliding with one of the vehicles in the VIP convoy. The driver of the auto-rickshaw sustained injuries, although his identity was not immediately disclosed.
According to Saiful Islam, the Officer-in-Charge of Ukhiya Shahpari Dwip Highway Police Station, the auto-rickshaw unexpectedly entered the convoy, violating protocol and causing the collision. The auto-rickshaw has been confiscated, and the injured driver has received initial treatment locally.
Authorities have confirmed that further investigations are ongoing, and legal actions will be pursued. Earlier in the day, Ozil and the Turkish delegation visited various facilities within the Rohingya camps. Ozil also engaged in a football match with Rohingya youths at Camp-4 and later participated in an iftar gathering in the evening.
