German World Cup-winning footballer Mesut Ozil and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan shared iftar with Rohingya refugees at the camps in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday.
The visit highlights ongoing efforts by international figures and organizations to raise awareness of the Rohingya community’s plight and to support initiatives aimed at improving their living conditions.
The duo toured Camp 9 at around 1:00 PM, inspecting the camp’s environment, education programs, healthcare facilities, and ongoing humanitarian aid efforts. They also interacted with Rohingya refugees to better understand their daily challenges and needs.
In the evening, they joined an Iftar with the refugees, sharing a meal and engaging with the community.
Earlier around 11:30 am, Özil and Bilal Erdoğan attended a press briefing at the office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) in Cox’s Bazar.
During the briefing, Bilal Erdoğan spoke about the humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya and called for greater international support. He emphasized the importance of expanding educational initiatives and promoting sports activities to aid the mental and physical development of children and adolescents in the camps.
Speaking during the visit, Bilal Erdoğan said the Rohingya people have been deprived of basic education for more than four decades and stressed that ensuring access to learning and skills development is essential to help them return to their homeland with dignity in the future.
The delegation, which included German football star Mesut Özil, toured several camps in Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar. Rohingya youths expressed excitement at seeing the renowned footballer, with many taking selfies with him, while others, due to tight security, caught only a brief glimpse from a distance.
Throughout the day, the 13-member delegation held discussions on education and healthcare challenges affecting Rohingya women and children. They also visited learning centres serving Rohingya children and later joined refugee families for iftar in the evening.
Earlier in the day, at around 10:30am, the delegation arrived at Cox’s Bazar Airport on a special flight from Dhaka. They were received by Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. A. Mannan and Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman.