BNP on Tuesday arranged a doa mahfil seeking peace for the departed souls of those, including students, who were killed in the tragic plane crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara.
Leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies took part in the programme organised by the party on the ground floor of its Nayapaltan central office.
They prayed for the peace of the teachers and students who lost their lives in the plane crash.
As part of State Mourning Day, a black flag was hoisted at the party office early in the morning, while the national flag was kept at half-mast. The leaders and activists of the party wore black badges as a mark of mourning.
In the morning, the Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal (BNP’s youth wing) started a blood donation programme in front of the party office for the injured. Members of Jubo Dal and other party activists donated blood for those who were injured in the crash.
In a brief speech at the doa mahfil, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, “We are all deeply shocked. There are no words to express this grief. This is an irreparable loss. The death toll seems to have crossed 27. Those who survived will also not be able to live a normal life. These children have died – how will we ever wipe the tears of their parents?”
“We are observing mourning across the country. Even if we mourn for a month or a year, we cannot bring them back. From the bottom of our hearts, we all – regardless of religion or background – pray to the Almighty to grant peace to their souls and give strength to their grieving parents,” he said.
Gayeshwar questioned why a training flight, especially of a fighter aircraft, was conducted in such a densely populated city.
He said that usually this type of training is held in remote areas where there are no people. “Why then was this training done in a crowded area of Dhaka?”
“People naturally have questions… Who will answer for this? Even if we don’t have wars every year, the army still carries out training exercises – we know those are usually done in far-off regions, not in crowded places,” he said.
The BNP leader said that before every flight, whether a fighter jet or not, the aircraft must be tested by an aeronautical engineer or flight engineer to confirm if it is fit to fly.
“There’s a whole process of pre-flight checks. So naturally, people are asking – did the trainers or supervisors properly check if the plane was in working condition? These questions are now being raised by the public,” he said.
Gayeshwar said, “I’m not just saying my own words – I’m speaking about the feelings and questions of the people. I believe the relevant authorities must be hearing this. We want to know: was there any error or fault on your part? Was the aircraft properly inspected before flying? Was it in a safe condition to operate?”
On behalf of the people, he demanded that the authorities find and share answers to those questions.
“I’m not blaming anyone. But the nation has the right to know the truth so that such a tragedy never happens again in the future.”
