Turkey’s Diyanet Foundation will provide training for imams in the Rohingya refugee camps, under the supervision and guidelines of the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh.

A consensus to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on this initiative was reached on Tuesday at the Secretariat during a meeting between Religious Affairs Adviser Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain and a visiting delegation from the Diyanet Foundation.

Highlighting the strong and friendly ties between Bangladesh and Turkey, Dr. Hossain emphasized the importance Bangladesh places on its relationship with Turkey.

He also sought greater cooperation from the Turkish government and the Diyanet Foundation in Bangladesh’s broader development efforts.

Recep Şükrü Balkan, deputy general manager of the Diyanet Foundation and head of the visiting delegation, expressed the foundation’s keen interest in contributing to Bangladesh’s development. As one of the largest Muslim-majority nations in the world, he said Bangladesh is a key focus for Diyanet's humanitarian and religious efforts.

Balkan said that the foundation intends to work in alignment with the Islamic Foundation to train mosque imams in Rohingya camps. Additionally, they aim to support income-generating activities, healthcare services, sanitation, and environmental improvements for refugees. He also expressed Diyanet's willingness to expand its humanitarian work in other parts of Bangladesh and sought the Religious Adviser’s support in doing so.

Dr. Hossain welcomed the proposal and urged the Diyanet Foundation to complete the necessary formalities in accordance with government regulations to begin activities. He assured the foundation of the Ministry’s full cooperation and encouraged the advancement of the MoU signing between the Islamic Foundation and Diyanet Foundation.

Islamic Foundation Director General A. Salam Khan, the Adviser's Private Secretary Sadek Ahmed, South Asia-Pacific Coordinator of the Diyanet Foundation, the Religious Services Coordinator of the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka, and other officials were also present.