Govt forms investigation commission over Milestone plane crash
The commission has been instructed to submit its investigation report to the government within four weeks
The government has formed an investigation commission to determine the cause and damages of the Air Force training aircraft crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara. The commission will also examine the legality of construction in areas located very close to the airport and assess the accuracy and safety of the flying zone's location.
The Cabinet Division issued a notification on Sunday night forming a nine-member commission headed by former secretary AKM Zafar Ullah Khan. The commission has been instructed to submit its investigation report to the government within four weeks.
Other members of the commission include former Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Administration) Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) M Saeed Hossain; one additional secretary each from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
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In addition, the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner, urban planner Professor Adil Muhammad Khan, Professor Md. Ashiqur Rahman from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and Barrister Ashraf Ali have also been named as commission members.
The commission has been tasked with identifying the background, causes, and responsibilities related to the crash at Milestone School and College; assessing the deaths and serious injuries of students, teachers, and others as well as the overall damages; and examining relevant issues tied to the incident. It will also review the legality and administrative aspects of constructing buildings like Milestone School and others in close proximity to the airport, and evaluate the positional accuracy and safe operation of the flying zone.
Additionally, the commission has been asked to provide recommendations for preventing such accidents, regulations for training flights, construction within flying zones, emergency response in case of severe accidents, and measures to avoid recurrence of such tragic incidents.
A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet crashed into Milestone School and College's Uttara Diabari campus on 21 July, killing nearly a dozen people on the spot.
On Monday, Bangladesh observed a one-day state mourning. The national flag was flown at half-mast across all government and private institutions, both at home and abroad.
But for the families who've lost children, teachers, and loved ones, mourning won't be confined to a single day. The flames have died, but the fury, grief, and unanswered questions remain.
