Former German football star Mesut Özil and Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan, son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, were involved in a minor road accident in Bangladesh on Thursday evening after their convoy collided with a motorised auto-rickshaw in Ukhia.
The incident took place around 7:00 pm on the busy Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf Road in the Kutupalong area, according to police officials. The convoy was travelling as part of a humanitarian visit to Rohingya camps in the region.
Escort Vehicle Collides With Auto-Rickshaw
Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Shahpori Highway Police Station, confirmed that the accident occurred when the convoy reportedly broke VIP movement protocol. The vehicle involved in the collision was a police escort vehicle accompanying Mesut Özil and Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan.
While neither Özil nor Bilal Erdoğan sustained injuries, the auto-rickshaw was badly damaged in the crash. Its driver suffered injuries and was provided medical treatment at a local healthcare facility. Authorities have seized the vehicles involved and launched an investigation into the incident. Legal action will follow based on the findings.
An event coordinator clarified that the vehicle directly involved was part of the police escort, not a personal vehicle of the delegation.
“The escort vehicle collided with a rickshaw and possibly a roadside structure. No one from the delegation was seriously injured. The driver received minor injuries and was taken to hospital,” a source told local media.