Turkish aid agency donates lab to engineering university in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh

A Turkish relief organization on Thursday donated a high-tech digital laboratory to a reputable international engineering university in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, to help local and international students.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has given the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) a fabrication laboratory, which is a cutting-edge technological digital lab.

Türkiye Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan formally inaugurated the fab lab, with TIKA Bangladesh Coordinator Sevki Mert Baris attending as a special guest and Bangladesh Foreign Ministry Secretary (West) Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury as the chief guest.

Chowdhury expressed his gratitude to the Turkish government and people for providing substantial assistance in education and other service sectors in the South Asian nation of approximately 166 million people.

He hoped that the technical knowledge acquired by the students in this lab would help contribute to the improvement of science and technology in the region as a whole.

Referring to the two countries fraternal ties, he added that through such services provided by Türkiye, bilateral relations will be strengthened in the coming period.

On the occasion, Ambassador Turan said the lab will allow students to supplement their knowledge with practical technical skills, making them more competitive in the job market.

He emphasized the importance of creative engineers for a nation's progress, saying that youths in Muslim countries have a lot of potential for innovation, and this lab will help them expand their knowledge.

"It's a miscalculation that westerners are the pioneers in technology and invention. If we look back in history, we see numerous inventions made by Muslim scholars such as Ismail El Cezeri (Ismail al-Jazari) in the 13th century. We have to decolonize our mindset," he added.

The TIKA brands its donated lab as "Cezeri Labs" named after El Cezeri, the 13th-century Turkish scientist in mechanical technology and robotics.

Students from 21 countries will take practical knowledge from this laboratory and disseminate it in their countries, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Md. Anayet Ullah Patwari told Anadolu Agency.

"Mechanical, electrical, civil, architecture, and CSE (Computer Science and Engineering) students will complete their practical work here. They can also complete a joint project from this lab," he added.

Vice Chancellor Imtiaz Hossain asserted that more technically-equipped manpower is required for the entire Muslim world.

He thanked Türkiye and the TIKA for their contributions to education in Bangladesh and many other states.

Talking to Anadolu Agency, many foreign students at the university also thanked Türkiye for setting up a lab with cutting-edge technology.

"We hope that we can sharpen our practical and theoretical knowledge with the help of this lab," Abdul Magid, a student from Gambia, said.

During the program, the Turkish envoy also spoke with university students from various countries and encouraged them to visit Türkiye.

The Turkish aid agency has not only donated 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters, and other equipment, but it has also trained 20 faculty members before the formal inauguration of the lab to teach students how to use the Cezeri Labs.

The TIKA coordinator pledged that Türkiye would continue to support its friendly nation Bangladesh in the future.