Bangladesh’s Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan has recently urged citizens not to entertain rumours over the Dhaka plane crash that occurred on July 21 in a school, leaving 31 casualties, mostly students.
Bangladesh Air Chief’s Statement Amid Students’ Protest
The chief marshal’s statement came amid students’ protests across the country. He was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune, “Please do not listen to any rumours on social media. A strong air force is essential for the sovereignty of the country. Please do not weaken this pillar of our sovereignty by spreading rumours. Like all of you, we are also heartbroken.”
Speaking to media after the funeral of Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar, the pilot of the ill-fated F-7 fighter jet, Mahmood Khan condemned the turmoil around the accident site, Milestone School and College in Uttara. The protest took place on Tuesday as students called on the interim government to release the actual death toll after the incident, asking the military to halt the use of “outdated and unsafe” trainer aircraft.
News Agency AP reported that an ex-student of the school revealed that the exact number of people killed and injured must be made public.”
Denying the students’ statement, the Air Chief said, “From whom would we hide information? You are the people of our country. An accident is an accident. We are trying to bring the situation fully under control. If unrest continues, no one else will be harmed, except for our country.”
In a statement, the Bangladeshi military said the fighter jet, a Chinese-made F-7BGI, reportedly experienced a “technical malfunction” soon after takeoff from the A.K. Khandaker air force base at 1:06 PM on Monday.
