“No One Will Be Harmed, Except…”: Bangladesh Air Chief’s Plea Amid Protests After Dhaka Jet Crash

“No One Will Be Harmed, Except…”: Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan has asked people not to believe in rumors about the Dhaka plane crash. The chief marshal made the statement to the reporters after the funeral of Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar, the pilot of the ill-fated F-7 fighter jet.

“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,” the Air Chief was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

The Air Chief condemned the unrest around Milestone School and College in Uttara where the crash occurred.

On Tuesday, protests erupted around the crash site as students demanded the interim government to disclose the actual number of deaths after the incident.

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Students also demanded the military to stop using “old and unsafe” trainer aircraft.

“The exact number of people killed and injured must be made public,” an ex-student of the school told AP.

In his appeal to the protesting students, the Air Chief said they are not hiding anything about the crash.

"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,” he added.

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At least 31 people, including students, were killed after a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka.

Around 171 people, most of whom were students aged between 8 to 14 years old, were injured in the accident.

The plane crash is one of the deadliest in Dhaka in recent times.

According to the military, the fighter jet, a Chinese made F-7BGI, experienced a “technical malfunction” just after takeoff from A.K. Khandaker air force base at 1:06PM on Monday.

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