A funeral parade was held today at Bangladesh Air Force Base Bir Uttam AK Khandaker in honor of Flight Lieutenant Md. Tawkir Islam, who died in a tragic crash involving a Bangladesh Air Force FT-7 BGI training aircraft.
The aircraft, which had taken off on a routine training mission on 21 July, experienced mechanical failure shortly after departure. In a final act of duty, Flight Lt.
Tawkir attempted to steer the plane away from densely populated areas. Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed into Milestone School and College in Diabari, Dhaka, resulting in multiple casualties.
Emergency teams, including Air Force helicopters and ambulances, rushed the injured to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and other nearby medical facilities.
Despite efforts by doctors, Tawkir was declared dead at CMH. He was 27 years, 8 months, and 13 days old at the time of his death.
A guard of honor was presented during his first funeral prayer at the parade ground. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs, attended the ceremony.
Wreaths were placed on behalf of the Chiefs of Army, Navy, and Air Force, represented by Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations). His family members, senior military officers, and personnel were also present.
Flight Lt. Tawkir was buried with full state honors in his hometown of Rajshahi.
Born on 9 November 1997 in Rajshahi, he was a distinguished graduate of Pabna Cadet College and the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), where he earned a BSc in Aeronautics.
He joined the Air Force in 2016 and was commissioned in 2019. Throughout his career, he served in multiple squadrons and completed various specialized courses both at home and abroad.
The Chief Advisor of the Government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan expressed deep condolences and prayed for Tawkir’s departed soul.
