2nd special cargo flight carrying donations expected to leave Bangladesh for Türkiye late Wednesday

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Another special cargo flight is expected to leave Bangladesh for Türkiye on Wednesday night, with donations from the government and people.

Among the big slot to be carried by Turkish Airlines’ special cargo flight will be 3,000 tents donated by the Bangladeshi government, said Sevki Mert Baris, Bangladesh Coordinator at Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) office in the capital Dhaka.

He told Anadolu that these tents are critical at this time of extreme cold in the earthquake-hit Turkish provinces.

Referring to the tremendous response of locals to relief activities for people affected by massive twin earthquakes in southern Türkiye, he said many people are also interested in providing cash through a banking channel for ease of the procedure.

"We will continue donation receiving work until Feb. 20, and by that time, we are considering opening a bank account so that Bangladeshi people can also provide hard cash easily," he said.

Meanwhile, a large number of Bangladeshis flocked to the TIKA office in Dhaka to drop off donations, mostly blankets, jackets, and other items for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday.

"I personally donated 150 jackets," Al Moti Mojumder, a Bangladeshi small businessman in Dhaka, told Türkiye's leading news agency, sharing his emotions and sadness over the massive earthquakes.

"I consider Turks as brothers and sisters. I am shocked by the great difficulties they are passing through after the earthquakes' devastation," he said, adding that "I hope that people will continue coming forward to stand by our Turkish brothers and sisters."

While donating a good quantity of blankets, gloves, socks, and caps on behalf of a London-based NGO, Ummah Appeal, Mohammad Sekander told Anadolu that Bangladeshi people make no distinction between their own plights and that of the Turkish people.

"It is our moral duty to support the Turkish people during this time of great crisis, and we will continue to do so," he said.

According to the TIKA office, regular airlines have been mobilizing donation items from Bangladesh to Türkiye since last Friday.

On Feb. 6, two massive earthquakes struck southern Türkiye.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors were centered in Kahramanmaras and hit nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

They also hit several countries and caused widespread destruction in northern Syria.

Nearly 36,000 people were killed in Türkiye, according to the latest official figures, while the death toll topped 5,000 in Syria.