This Indian soldier is on active duty even 57 years after his death, enemies are still afraid of him, his name is...
There is a belief about Harbhajan Singh that he is still monitoring the border and gives a hint about any conspiracy of China in advance. Not only this, but Chinese soldiers also fear Baba Harbhajan's spirit and feel his presence. Whenever there is a meeting between India and China, a chair is kept vacant for Baba Harbhajan. For the army, he is still an active soldier. What does army say about him?
Baba Harbhajan Singh has been given the status of a soldier by the army. He is also given regular salary, and he also has a rank in the army. Until some time ago, he was sent to his village Punjab on leave every year. There, tickets were booked for him, and his luggage was sent. But later this tradition was stopped due to objections from some people. Now Baba performs duty on the Sikkim border the whole year. Where is his personal room?
There is a room in Baba Harbhajan Singh's temple, which is cleaned daily. His uniform and shoes are kept there. Soldiers say that despite daily cleaning, mud is found in the shoes and creases are found on the bed sheets, as if Baba comes there every day. Who was Baba Harbhajan Singh?
Harbhajan Singh was born on 30 August 1946 in Gujranwala. He could serve in the Indian Army for only two years. One day he was crossing a river on a mule when he was swept away by the strong current. He was searched for two days but his body was not found. Then a fellow soldier had a dream in which Baba told him the location of the body. When the soldiers reached there, they found his body at that exact spot. After this, a temple was built at the place where his bunker was.
This story of Baba Harbhajan Singh is still an example among the Indian Army. The soldiers not only respect him but also believe that he is still protecting the border. On occasions like Independence Day, Baba Harbhajan Singh is mentioned with reverence and pride, as a soldier who is dedicated to serving the country even after his death.
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First Post
7 hours ago
- First Post
Bangladesh declares mourning day after deadly jet crash claims 31 lives
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a 'technical malfunction' moments after takeoff from the A.K. Khandaker air force base at 1:06 p.m. Monday, according to a statement from the military read more Onlookers are seen through a burnt classroom window of a school building after a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into it in Dhaka, Bangladesh. AP On Tuesday, the death toll from the crash of a Bangladesh air force training jet into a school in the country's capital rose to 31, including at least 25 students, a teacher who died from burn injuries sustained while assisting others in getting out of the burning building, and the training aircraft's pilot. As the military began its inquiry, firefighters further guarded the area in the crowded Uttara neighbourhood of Dhaka. The probe did not directly include the nation's civil aviation authorities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tuesday was declared as a day of national mourning in Bangladesh, and all flags were flown at half-mast. Monday's crash at the Milestone School and College caused a fire that gutted the two-story school building. Officials said 171 people, mostly students and many with burns, were rescued and carried away in helicopters, ambulances, motorized rickshaws and in the arms of firefighters and parents. Many say they're haunted by the tragedy 'Yesterday, when the plane was approaching, the sound was so loud you can't even imagine — it felt like eardrums were about to burst. Within five seconds, the plane crashed right in front of me here,' Smriti, a student who only gave one name, said outside her school. 'Suddenly, I saw flames rising fiercely upward from the building,' the 11th grader said. 'When I got here, I saw some children lying with their limbs spread out, some of their lifeless bodies scattered around. Can you save them? Tell me, will they ever be able to return to their parents' arms again,' she asked. On Tuesday, 78 people, mostly students, remained hospitalized, said Sayeedur Rahman, a special assistant to Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus. Twenty deaths were reported initially, and seven died of their injuries overnight, authorities said. Another four deaths were reported later Monday, the military said. Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher who rescued more than 20 students from the burning school, died from severe burn injuries, her colleague Tanzina Tanu said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Doctors said late Monday that the condition of about two dozen injured remained critical. A blood donation camp has been opened at a specialized burn hospital where most of the injured were being treated. Twenty bodies have been handed over to their families, with some of them possibly needing DNA matching after they were charred beyond recognition. Many relatives waited overnight at a specialized burn hospital for the bodies of their loved ones. The plane reported a malfunction The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a 'technical malfunction' moments after takeoff from the A.K. Khandaker air force base at 1:06 p.m. Monday, according to a statement from the military. The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made 'every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,' the military said, adding that it would investigate the cause of the crash. The Milestone school, about an 11-kilometer (7-mile) drive from the air force base, is in a densely populated area near a metro station and numerous shops and homes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was the pilot's first solo flight as he was completing his training course. It remained unclear if he managed to eject before the jet hit the building. The first funeral prayers were held for the pilot in Dhaka on Tuesday morning and second prayers will be held in southwestern Rajshahi district where his parents live. It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. In 2008, another F-7 training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot, who had ejected after he discovered a technical problem.
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First Post
11 hours ago
- First Post
Bangladesh air force jet crash: Should the ageing Chinese F-7 fighter still be flying?
A deadly F-7 fighter jet crash in Dhaka has killed 27, including 25 schoolchildren, putting the spotlight on China's ageing F-7 aircraft, which is still in service across Asia and Africa. With a history of crashes and maintenance concerns, many are now asking: Why are these outdated jets still part of air fleets? read more Firefighters and army members work next to the wreckage of an air force training aircraft after it crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. File Image/Reuters A Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) fighter aircraft crashed into a school building in Dhaka on Monday (July 21, 2025), killing 27 people — including 25 schoolchildren — and injuring over 100 others. The incident has drawn attention to the safety record of China's F-7 fighter jets, which remain in service across several countries despite concerns about their ageing technology, reliability issues and history of mechanical failures. As investigations continue, aviation experts and military analysts are questioning the continued use of the Chinese-made F-7 series, especially in high-density civilian areas and for critical military operations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened in Dhaka The F-7 BGI fighter aircraft departed from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola at 1:06 pm local time on what was meant to be a routine training sortie. However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft developed a mechanical fault. The pilot, in a bid to avoid heavy civilian casualties, attempted to manoeuvre away from populated zones. Despite the effort, the aircraft slammed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College in the Diabari area of Dhaka, approximately ten kilometres from the originating base. The impact ripped through the structure, destroying iron railings and leaving a large gash in the building. Emergency responders retrieved the bodies of 27 individuals from the site, including the aircraft's pilot, a teacher, and 25 students. Additionally, more than 100 children and at least 15 other people suffered injuries. Seventy-eight of them remain hospitalised, most of them with serious burn injuries. Visuals captured after the crash showed a mangled fuselage embedded in the building, signalling a catastrophic structural failure during flight. Authorities from the Bangladesh Air Force have formed an investigative committee to determine the cause of the malfunction. In response to the tragedy, interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus assured the public: 'We will take all necessary measures' to ensure accountability and safety. He also confirmed that "all kinds of assistance" are being provided to the families of the victims. Why Bangladesh is reliant on Chinese F-7 jets The aircraft involved in the crash was an F-7 BGI, a variant of the Chinese J-7 fighter series — itself based on the Soviet-designed MiG-21. Despite being phased out by some countries, Bangladesh continues to operate a fleet of these jets, primarily for training and air defence purposes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bangladesh Air Force J-7 BGI fighter jet in 2018. Image/Wikimedia Commons Bangladesh first began acquiring F-7 fighters in the late 1980s. Between 1989 and 1990, the country received its first batch of 20 F-7s. Another 20 followed between 1999 and 2006. From 2012 to 2013, Bangladesh received 16 units of the upgraded F-7 BGI variant as part of a contract signed in 2011. As of 2023, the Bangladesh Air Force maintained an active fleet of 36 F-7 fighters and 11 FT-7 trainer aircraft. These jets form the backbone of the country's light combat and training missions, largely due to their lower cost and the slow pace of military modernisation. Under the 'Forces Goal 2030' defence modernisation plan, Dhaka has begun to diversify its military purchases — including aircraft sourced from Russia and Europe — but F-7 variants continue to dominate training and interception roles within the Air Force. What Bangladesh's crash record says The Monday disaster is not the first fatal crash involving the F-7 in Bangladesh. According to Dhaka Tribune, over the past two decades, the BAF has witnessed at least four significant accidents involving this aircraft type: In April 2008, an F-7 crashed in Ghatail, Tangail, killing Squadron Leader Morshed Hasan. In June 2015, an F-7MB went missing over the Bay of Bengal near Patenga, Chattogram. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Tahmid Rumman, was never found. In November 2018, an F-7BG crashed during a training mission in Madhupur, Tangail. The crash killed pilot Arif Ahmed Dipu. The most recent accident on July 21, 2025, is the deadliest, with 27 confirmed fatalities. In total, since 2005, Bangladesh Air Force aircraft have experienced at least 11 crashes. Of these, seven involved Chinese-made aircraft, including F-7s, FT-7s, PT-6s, and K-8Ws. Three crashes were linked to Russian Yak-130 aircraft, and one to a Czechoslovakian-made L-39 trainer. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bangladesh Air Force J-7 BGI fighter jet. File Image Data also shows that between 1993 and 2006, 16 planes and helicopters crashed within the Air Force, resulting in 14 pilot deaths — many involving Chinese-manufactured models. These patterns have raised persistent concerns over the mechanical reliability and safety of older fighter platforms, particularly those originating from China's military-industrial ecosystem. How spotty is the global safety record of the F-7 Although China officially ended production of the F-7 in 2013, the aircraft continues to be operated by several nations for training and limited combat roles. Countries still flying F-7 variants include Pakistan, Iran, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Globally, the F-7 has a long service history marked by frequent accidents. In Pakistan, three F-7 crashes — in November 2015 and January 2020 — resulted in the deaths of military pilots. In May 2022, two Iranian pilots died in Isfahan after their F-7 jet went down. More recently, on June 10, 2025, a J-7 crashed in Pale Township in Myanmar, and a prior crash in China's Hubei province saw a J-7 hit a residential structure in Xiangyang city. The aircraft, while cost-effective, suffers from serious limitations by modern aviation standards. Aerospace Global News (AGN) highlights that the jet's outdated airframe, absence of fly-by-wire systems, and restricted safety features contribute to a higher accident rate compared to newer-generation fighters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why the Chinese F-7 is under scrutiny Originally reverse-engineered by China from the Soviet MiG-21 following a partial technology transfer agreement in 1961, the J-7 — and its export variant F-7 — became China's most widely exported fighter aircraft. Over 2,400 units were reportedly manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1966 and 2013, evolving through more than a dozen iterations. However, several operators have reported issues in maintaining the fleet. Nigeria, for example, had to return seven of its nine F-7 jets to China due to an inability to repair them locally. Reports cite poor documentation practices and language barriers in technical manuals as persistent problems. Translations are often inaccurate or confusing, rendering maintenance and part replacement difficult. Also, design modifications occur without timely notification, leading to mismatched or incompatible spare parts. Myanmar's Air Force also reported dissatisfaction with the aircraft's ground attack capabilities, and analysts note that China's closed industrial ecosystem for J-7 production has limited countries' flexibility in servicing or upgrading their fleets independently. The F-7 BGI, while more advanced than earlier versions, is still classified as a third-generation fighter. It lacks the stealth, avionics, and survivability of fourth and fifth-generation jets. Still, it continues to be used in several developing nations due to its affordability and availability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Despite widespread concerns about its airworthiness, many air forces retain these aircraft as stopgaps until more modern replacements can be procured. Experts view the F-7 as a temporary platform — suitable only for basic training and limited defence roles. The Bangladesh Air Force had viewed the F-7 BGI in a similar light: as a bridging solution until newer jets are added under the Forces Goal 2030 initiative. However, following the Dhaka school tragedy, that calculus may be revisited sooner than expected. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Dhaka Fighter Jet Crash: Did Chinese Technology, Poor Planning and Encroachment Led To Accident?
Tragedy strikes Dhaka as a Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet crashes into Milestone School, killing 27 and injuring over 170, mostly civilians. The pilot tried to avoid dense areas but failed. The Air Force blames a technical malfunction. This isn't a one-off. Since 1992, BAF has recorded 27 crashes and 7 out of the 11 recent ones involved Chinese aircraft. Experts now question why Dhaka continues to fly these jets, pointing at aging fleets, poor procurement oversight, and strategic dependence on China. Urban encroachment near military bases is another major concern. The school sits in what was once an empty canal zone near the Air Force Base AK Khandaker, now overrun by real estate.#dhakacrash #bangladeshairforce #f7bgi #chinesejets #aviationdisaster #milestoneschool #fighterjetcrash #urbanencroachment #chinaaircraft #southasiadefence #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews
