Bangladesh sending rescue team to Turkey
A ten-member team from Bangladesh is going to Turkey to take part in rescue work following the devastating earthquake there and the team includes five members each from the Bangladesh army and the fire service.
An official of the foreign ministry, preferring to remain anonymous, informed Prothom Alo of the matter Tuesday afternoon.
He said the party will leave for Turkey tomorrow, Wednesday, by a C-130 aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force.
It was decided to initially send a ten-member team. The matter of who will be on the team, what equipment and what medical supplies will be taken, is being decided upon.
A strong earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit southeast Turkey on Monday. The epicentre of the earthquake was located at Turkey's Gaziantep province along the border with Syria.
The source of the earthquake was 17.7 km below the earth's surface. The earthquake has created a humanitarian crisis in Turkey and Syria. The death count in both countries stands at 4,800. It is apprehended that the count will increase further.
This has been the most powerful earthquake in Turkey this century. An earthquake had hit the country in 1999, killing over 17,000 people in Turkey's Izmit and Istanbul's eastern Marmara coastal region.
Immediately after Monday's earthquake, various countries and agencies announced their support for Turkey. Bangladesh's president Md Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina sent condolence messages to Turkey's president Erdogan.
According to sources, when Bangladesh extended an offer to send a rescue team, Turkey readily responded, expressing their interest in this regard. The foreign ministry official said when the previous earthquake had taken place, Bangladesh had offered to send a rescue team then too. Turkey at the time had thanked Bangladesh for the offer, but said that there was no need for a rescue team. This time they readily agreed.
When asked about the matter, Turkey's ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan this afternoon told Prothom Alo that a rescue team from Bangladesh is due to go to his country.