A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a ban on the operation of faulty aircraft over densely populated areas of Dhaka.
Senior lawyer Zainul Abedin submitted the petition to the relevant High Court branch on Tuesday. The court is expected to hear the matter later in the day.
The petition follows Monday’s tragic crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft at the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka’s Diabari area, which has so far claimed 27 lives and left 78 others injured. The government has declared a national day of mourning today (Tuesday) in response to the disaster.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the F-7 BGI fighter jet took off from Kurmitola`s AK Khandakar Air Force Base at 1:06 PM on Monday as part of a routine training exercise. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft reportedly developed a technical malfunction.
Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam, the pilot, made a "maximum effort" to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas to avoid large-scale casualties, ISPR said. However, "unfortunately," the aircraft crashed into a two-story building within the Milestone School and College compound in Diabari.
The ISPR also confirmed that a high-level investigation committee has been formed by the Air Force to determine the exact cause of the crash. Further details will be released upon completion of the probe.
