logo
Bangladesh jet crash: Aircraft suffered ‘technical malfunction'; committee formed to probe as 20 killed

Bangladesh jet crash: Aircraft suffered ‘technical malfunction'; committee formed to probe as 20 killed

Mint5 days ago
Bangladesh's F-7 Air Force jet crash, which killed at least 20 people and injured 171 when it went down into Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka on Monday, July 21, was caused by a 'technical malfunction", according to the military. A committee has been set up to investigate the incident. According to the military, it departed from Bangladesh Air Force Base A K Khandaker in Dhaka's Kurmitola area at 1:06 pm local time and crashed shortly afterward, bursting into flames.
2. The military said that the pilot attempted to steer clear of densely populated zones, but the jet ultimately struck a two-story building. It was noted that the aircraft suffered a 'technical malfunction', and a high-level Air Force committee has been formed to investigate the incident's cause, PTI reported.
3. The US State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) stated on X, 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic crash of the Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft in Uttara. Our thoughts are with those injured and the families who lost their loved ones during this difficult time."
4. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government, also expressed sorrow over the incident. He said, 'I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BJI training aircraft at the Milestone School and College campus in the Diabari area of the capital today. The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable. This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.'
5. Search and rescue operations were carried out at the site by emergency response team.
6. Following the fatal crash, the government of Bangladesh has declared a one-day state of mourning. The national flag will be flown at half-mast across all government, semi-government, autonomous, and educational institutions throughout the country.
7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief and shock over the loss of lives in the training jet crash in Dhaka. In a message shared on X, he offered his condolences and affirmed that India stands with the people of Bangladesh, ready to provide support and assistance in the ongoing rescue efforts following the incident.
8. Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not there when the crash took place, said that the school with some 2000 students provides classes from elementary to twelfth grade.
9. This marks the most fatal airplane crash in Dhaka in recent memory.
10. Back in 2008, an F-7 Air Force training jet crashed on the outskirts of Dhaka, resulting in the death of the pilot, who had ejected after detecting a technical issue.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: UK FTA shows world's trust on India, country's self-confidence, says PM Modi
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: UK FTA shows world's trust on India, country's self-confidence, says PM Modi

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: UK FTA shows world's trust on India, country's self-confidence, says PM Modi

PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the recent free-trade agreement with the United Kingdom, saying it showed world's trust on India, and the country's self-confidence. Asserting that the government will ensure a developed India, and a developed Tamil Nadu with this self-confidence, the PM laid the foundation stone, and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore in Tuticorin. He reached the city directly after completing his state visit to Maldives. The Prime Minister inaugurated and dedicated to the nation several projects across various sectors that will boost regional connectivity, improve logistics efficiency, strengthen clean energy infrastructure, etc. The PM has inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tuticorin Airport developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. Spread across 17,340 square meters, the terminal will be equipped to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and 20 lakh passengers annually. He also dedicated to the nation two strategically significant highway projects. The first is the 4-laning of the 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of NH-36, developed at more than Rs 2,350 crore under the Vikravandi–Thanjavur corridor. The second project is the 6-laning of the 5.16 km NH-138 Tuticorin Port Road, built at around Rs 200 crore. The PM inaugurated North Cargo Berth–III with a cargo handling capacity of 6.96 MMTPA at VO Chidambaranar Port worth around Rs 285 crore. PM Modi also dedicated three key railway infrastructure projects in southern Tamil Nadu to boost sustainable and efficient connectivity. This includes: electrification of the 90 km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line, Rs 650 crore doubling of the 21 km Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari section (part of the Thiruvananthapuram–Kanniyakumari project), doubling of the Aralvaymozhi–Nagercoil Junction (12.87km) and Tirunelveli–Melappalayam (3.6 km) sections. He also laid the foundation stone for a major power transmission project – the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for evacuation of electricity from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (2×1000 MW). This project, developed at a cost of around Rs 550 crore, will include a 400 kV (quad) double-circuit transmission line from Kudankulam to the Tuticorin-II GIS substation and associated terminal equipment.

Maldives President Muizzu hails ties with India, calls PM Modi 'wonderful person'
Maldives President Muizzu hails ties with India, calls PM Modi 'wonderful person'

Hans India

timean hour ago

  • Hans India

Maldives President Muizzu hails ties with India, calls PM Modi 'wonderful person'

Male: Hailing ties with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark two-day visit to the country, asserting that it has given a major boost to the bilateral ties between the two neighbours. Speaking with the Indian media after the Maldives Independence Day celebrations where PM Modi was the 'Guest of Honour', the Maldivian President said, "India is one of the major countries that helps the Maldives with tourism. Definitely with the Prime Minister's visit, it is going to increase a lot. I am sure people-to-people exchanges between the two countries will also increase because of this visit." Muizzu also called PM Modi a "wonderful" person, expressing appreciation for the efforts that the Indian leader has made over the last 11 years to put India-Maldives relations on a new trajectory. "He's a wonderful person who is very fond of building the relationship between neighbours. The Maldives and India have a very good relationship that goes back centuries. With his leadership and the cooperation between our two countries, between the two governments, I'm sure it's going to be even more prosperous in the days ahead," he mentioned. He also talked about the agreements signed between both countries during PM Modi's two-day visit, affirming that they will help Maldives to move forward. Later, taking to X, Muizzu wrote, "I extend heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his State Visit to the Maldives. We held fruitful discussions, witnessed the exchange of four MoUs and three agreements in vital areas, and announced the launch of FTA negotiations." "Together, we celebrated the Maldives' 60th Independence Day, released a commemorative stamp marking 60 years of formal ties, and inaugurated key development projects under Indian assistance," he added. Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment of Maldives, also told IANS that the Indian Ocean archepalego's connectivity to the world will expand tremendously after the opening of the new terminal at the Velana airport in Hulhule Island. "Last year, we received two million tourists, and our target for this year is 2.3 million. We hope to welcome 200,000 tourists from India alone. With the completion and opening of the new terminal at Velana International Airport, we expect greater connectivity across the world, including India," he said. Earlier in the day, PM Modi attended the Independence Day celebrations of Maldives as the 'Guest of Honour' at Republic Square in Male along with the President of Maldives and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. PM Modi also held several significant meetings with members of several political parties of the Maldives. He noted that the participation of leaders across the political spectrum emphasises the bipartisan support for the "strong and time-tested friendship" between the two nations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other officials were also present during these meetings.

Combat readiness of Chinese defence equipment remains highly doubtful
Combat readiness of Chinese defence equipment remains highly doubtful

Hans India

timean hour ago

  • Hans India

Combat readiness of Chinese defence equipment remains highly doubtful

The F-7BGI fighter jet of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) that crashed earlier this week into the Milestone School and College campus killing dozens, mostly children, is a single-engine, lightweight fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. It is considered a modernized version of Chengdu F-7, also known as J-7 whose lineage can be traced back to the Soviet Mig-21. The People's Liberation Army Airforce (PLAAF) and other countries have continued to upgrade F-7 to F-7BGI for training and limited combat roles. China officially terminated production of the F-7 series in 2013 and Bangladesh bought the final match of these aircraft that same year. PLAAF decommissioned the entire J-7 fleet by the end of 2023. Since 1992, the BAF has recorded 27 fighter aircraft, including trainer crashes. Further, from 2005 till date, BAF lost 11 aircraft in crashes, of these seven were Chinese aircraft, three Russian and one a Czech aircraft. Most of the crashes involved Chinese-origin aircraft. Over the years, the BAF has lost Wing Commanders, Squadron Leaders, Flight Lieutenants, Flying Officers, Warrant Officers and Cadet pilots. Surprisingly, despite the outdated equipment, BAF still continues to seal new defence deals with the Chinese. Bangladesh imports about 85 per cent of defence equipment from China. This includes Tanks (MBT-2000, Type 59, Type 69), artillery systems, and small arms for the army; Frigates, missile boats, and submarines (Ming-class) for the Navy and fighter jets (F-7 BGI, K-8W training jets) for its Air Force. Pakistan too is dependent on China for more than 85 per cent of its military requirement. Despite Pakistan's financial constraints and reliance on foreign loans, Pakistan has spent a lot of money over the last five years to buy Chinese defence equipment to modernise its own military. Pakistan has a significant inventory of Chinese-origin weapons and systems, including air defence systems, J-10 and JF-17 fighters, submarines, and warships. Between 2020-24, China had supplied 81 per cent of Pakistan's total arms imports, making Beijing Islamabad's largest arms supplier. This included fighter jets JF-17 Thunder (co-developed), J-10C Firebird; submarines like Hangor-class (Type 039B/041); Type 054A/P Frigates (Tughril-class); Air Defence Systems (ADS) HQ-9 Long-Range Air Defence, LY-80 (HQ-16 export version); Tanks: VT-4 Main Battle Tanks (Haider); Artillery: SH-15 155mm howitzers and Drones: Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) like CH-4 'Rainbow'. Wing Loong II and Azmat-class Fast Attack Crafts vessels, equipped with C-802A anti-ship missiles, have also been built with the Chinese assistance. At the same time, Pakistan continues to lean towards Chinese platforms. India's 'Operation Sindoor' post-spine-chilling attack on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22 by Pakistan-based terror group The Resistance Front (TRF), practically neutralised Pakistani ADS at a number of locations across the border. Chinese weapons and China's grand experiment to turn Pakistan into a testing ground for its military hardware backfired spectacularly, with Indian systems outperforming the Chinese ones. HQ-9 Chinese ADS failed to intercept Indian missiles. India struck Pakistan's Nur Khan Airbase Chaklala Cantonment in Rawalpindi, considered to be critical in Pakistan's military infrastructure. Importantly, China had helped Pakistan in adjusting its satellite coverage over India during 'Operation Sindoor', which Pakistan acknowledged. In a major ELINT win, India was able to capture unique signal emissions and system behaviour linked to the Pakistan Air Force's J-10C and JF-17 multirole fighter jets, as well as PL 15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air and HQ-7 and HQ-9 surface-to-air missile systems, which were frontline Chinese-origin weapon systems. Nigerian Air Force too had serious problems with the F-7Ni aircraft which was involved in accidents, including mid-air collision in 2018 during air display rehearsal. Seven aircraft were marked for high-tech maintenance in China including two aircraft slated for a life extension programme with the Chinese support within Nigeria. Similarly, several African countries including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan have had difficulties with the sub-standard Chinese Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Jordan's Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) was dissatisfied with the performance of the Chinese CH-4B drones in 2016 and subsequently put them up for sale in 2019. China is happy selling its defence equipment to developing countries or to the least developed countries. Chinese defence firms sell the equipment indiscriminately. However, to maintain its dominance in the military sphere at the global level, China never allows export of advanced variants of defence equipment. Moreover, China has deftly sold defence equipment to governments and regimes without any regard for human rights violations or degree of stability or intentions and little accountability. The developing countries continue to operate these faulty Chinese defence equipment causing fatal accidents. China's Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) plays a crucial role in forming the defence and security landscape of other buyer nations. China is adept in using espionage to acquire defence technology. Recently, the US Department of Defence (DoD) had accused Beijing in this regard. China is the fourth largest arms exporter globally. It holds 5.8 per cent share of the global arms bazaar. In 2010, China was the world's second largest arms importer. China's sudden leap in every domain - fighter jets, warships, missile systems, space technology and drones - has deeply upset several countries. China's defence equipment exports are primarily concentrated in Asia. A substantial portion of China's arms exports is to Pakistan. China's defence exports touched a 10-year high in 2022 with USD $3.24 billion. However, China continues to face challenges in meeting its sophisticated quality defence exports equipment spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, aimed at especially supporting China's rise as a global military power. China offers weapons at a favourable low price, including credits and soft loans compared to the Western countries. The rise of China's in-house defence industry has resulted in lesser quality control. Furthermore, developing countries have few alternatives and affordability is the key issue. Inferior technology weapons, inconsistent performance, defective components, and insufficient after-sales service have become synonymous with China's military hardware. These issues have damaged and will continue to destroy China's reputation as an arms exporter.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store