Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus receiving the final report of the inquiry committee, formed to investigate the tragic crash of a BAF aircraft at Milestone School and College on July 21, from the committee head at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital on Wednesday. — PID The pilot is to primarily blame for the terrible plane crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara as his failure to control the aircraft led to the tragedy, official inquiry report reveals and recommends preventives.
Headed by Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant-General S M Kamrul Hasan, the probe body Wednesday submitted the report to Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus, identifying the causes of the crash and preventive measures.
Briefing the press about the probe findings and recommendations, the Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Shafiqul Alam, said the report concluded that the accident occurred due to flight-control failure during a training exercise.
"When the trainee pilot was flying, the situation went beyond his control," Alam quoted the report as saying.
The committee, formed immediately after the 21 July crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet, conducted a comprehensive investigation, interviewing 150 individuals -- including experts and victims -- and gathering 168 pieces of evidence.
It has made 33 recommendations for dos to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The most significant of these, the press secretary said, is a proposal to relocate all initial flight trainings of the Bangladesh Air Force outside Dhaka for public-safety reasons.
The probe also found that the Milestone School and College building did not have approval from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and had violated several key safety codes.
"The building was supposed to have at least three staircases, but there was only one in the middle," Alam notes. "Experts concluded that if there had been three staircases, the number of casualties could have been lower."
Among the other recommendations are the expansion of existing runways in Barishal and Bogura to facilitate safer training operations, and stricter enforcement of the RAJUK building code in newly developed urban areas.
The inquiry also suggests increase in the number of aircraft for the air force. It further suggests that specialised and modern fire-extinguishing vehicles should be stationed near airports at all times to ensure rapid response during emergencies.
The report calls on the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh to closely monitor the construction of new buildings around airport zones, particularly near takeoff and landing paths.
It recommends enforcing height restrictions and limiting the establishment of high-risk structures such as hospitals, schools, warehouses, and small industrial facilities in these critical areas.
"There are several airfields across the country," Alam said, "and the report emphasises the need for proper maintenance and utilisation of these facilities."
The Chief Adviser's Office has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to act promptly on the committee's recommendations, the briefing was told.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
© 2025 - All Rights with The Financial Express
