Turkey's TIKA provides Eid gifts to Bangladeshi kids

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) on Wednesday distributed Eid gifts among 200 needy Bangladeshi children in the capital Dhaka, living in slums and streets.

Among the beneficiaries, 109 were girls and 91 boys.

The boys were provided with traditional Eid dresses -- long sleeve pants, shirts, shoes, and hats -- while girls were gifted three-piece dresses along with headscarves and shoes.

All children were also donated surgical masks to help them protect against the novel coronavirus.

The death toll from COVID-19 in Bangladesh on Wednesday surged to 3,035 with 35 more casualties recorded in the last 24 hours, according to a report by the Health Ministry.

Also, 3,009 new cases were recorded, pushing the total infections figure to 232,194.

The distribution works were done in collaboration with the Dhaka Ahsania Mission, a local NGO.

Speaking to the gifts distribution ceremony, Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka Mustafa Osman Turan urged Bangladeshi children to study about the "golden" Islamic history of Turkey.

"Turkey and Bangladesh together can become the beacons of hope for the Muslim world. [The Muslim festival of] Eid al-Adha is a good occasion to reflect on this vision," Turan said.

Addressing children as "the future of the country", he added: "We should support you build a better future."

Meanwhile, TIKA's Bangladesh Coordinator Ismail Gundogdu said: "If children smile in a society, everyone smiles. Holidays are happy days for all of us. We wanted to share this holiday joy with you. May your holiday be blessed."

Founded in 1992, TIKA currently has offices in 60 different countries.

"TIKA opened an office in Bangladesh in 2014 and has carried out hundreds of projects since then," Gundogdu added.

Earlier, during the holy month of Ramadan, Turkey distributed Ramadan food items among the needy in Bangladesh and persecuted Rohingya Muslims living in the country's southern district of Cox's Bazar.