The airplane accident that occurred yesterday, Monday, July 21 (see AVIONEWS), which shook the "Milestone School and College" — a permanent campus in Diabari, Uttara district, Dhaka — has dramatic consequences, officially attributed to a technical failure. The Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, stated today on the sidelines of the funeral parade honoring the deceased pilot, that the aircraft involved, a Chengdu FT-7BGI training jet with registration number 2701, crashed due to a mechanical breakdown, excluding other hypotheses. 

The death toll has risen to 31, with more than 170 injured, many of whom are children and young students of the school.

During the press conference, Chief Marshal Khan expressed the armed forces’ deep condolences to the families of the victims and assured that the armed forces will continue to provide full support and medical assistance to all the injured until their complete recovery. The armed forces themselves contributed yesterday to the transport of the most severely injured to the Joint Military Hospital and to the nearest medical facility, with the assistance of military helicopters and ambulances. He also specified: "The Air Force never compromises on the maintenance of its aircraft engines", emphatically reaffirming that the accident was the result of an unexpected technical issue.

At the controls of the aircraft was Lieutenant Touqir Islam, who, Khan emphasized, did his utmost to avoid the massacre. Despite being only 27 years old, he was an experienced pilot. "He leaves behind a wife and children and several responsible for his premature death, who will be identified", was stated today before his coffin at the funeral ceremony attended by, in addition to Khan, the highest authorities of all the armed forces as well as prominent civil representatives of the country. 

In Bangladesh, a national day of mourning has been declared; images of devastation on the campus and the news of numerous minors involved have deeply shaken public opinion. Ministerial sources and representatives of the school confirmed that most of the victims and injured are pupils, many of whom are aged between 8 and 12 years. 

Chief of Staff Khan also addressed the growing speculation and unchecked rumors that have spread virally on social media regarding the accident. He categorically rejected any accusations of information concealment about the incident or the actual number of victims: "Why would we do that? We are all citizens of this country". He further added that every update received about the tragedy has been promptly shared with the public through the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR), the official communication body of the armed forces. The marshal concluded the meeting by urging the public not to lend credence to misinformation and to rely exclusively on official sources to avoid further fueling distress at such a delicate moment.