TİKA Supports Education in Bangladesh

A delivery ceremony was held for the school bus provided by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) to Moin Uddin Memorial College in Teknaf district of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

TİKA provided a school bus to Moin Uddin Memorial College to support the education sector in the district of Teknaf, where transportation facilities are inadequate. The school bus was delivered to the school administration with a ceremony. Local officials also attended the ceremony which was held in the school’s auditorium.

Prof. Dr. Farid Uddin Ahmed, from the Anthropology Department of the University of Chittagong, presided over the ceremony. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Muhammed Kamrul Hasan; Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Mizanur Rahman and TİKA’s Deputy Coordinator in Dhaka, Muhammed Ali Armağan.

During his opening speech, College Board Member Yunus Bangali expressed his gratitude to TİKA for the project, and underlined the positive impact that the school bus will have on students’ education. Prof. Dr. Farid Uddin Ahmed expressed the special importance of the education sector in the region, and stated that this school bus is not just a vehicle, but also a symbol of hope and progress.

TİKA’s Deputy Coordinator in Dhaka, Muhammed Ali Armağan shared with participants TİKA’s mission in Bangladesh, which features various development cooperation projects in the fields of education, healthcare, culture and humanitarian aid. Referring to the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries, he reiterated TİKA’s determination to support Bangladesh in various capacities. Underlining that TİKA has been operating in the region for Rohingya Muslims since 2017, Armağan expressed his gratitude to residents and officials of Cox’s Bazar for kindly hosting Rohingya Muslims, who were displaced.

During his speech, Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Muhammed Mizanur Rahman noted the historical friendship between Türkiye and Bangladesh, and summarized the important contacts that have occurred between the two nations since the era of the Mughal Empire. Stating that Türkiye is a natural friend of Bangladesh, Mizanur Rahman remarked that reflections of this friendship are increasingly felt at the state and national levels.

Ministry Secretary Muhammed Kamrul Hasan also emphasized that they have been collaborating with TİKA for a long time. Underlining that each TİKA project sets an example, he stated that these projects directly meet the needs. Inviting students to focus on their education, Kamrul Hasan emphasized that education is the keystone of establishing a smart Bangladesh. Reiterating the government’s determination to support educational development in regions such as Teknaf, he expressed that state support to the college will continue.

Moin Uddin Memorial College provides education for nearly 700 students, approximately 60% of whom are girls. In this region, where transportation services are limited, many students travel to their schools from long distances of 40-45 km. The new school bus aims to ease the challenges especially for female students who often encounter safety problems during their daily journeys.