Staff Correspondent

In the wake of the tragic plane crash in Dhaka’s Uttara area, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday raised questions over how a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft was allowed to operate over such a densely populated area.

“This is a densely populated area. Operating a training flight to learn to fly in such places seems mysterious to me,” he said, talking to reporters after visiting the injured at Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital around 5pm.

Rizvi also said running flight training in such a crowded area is deeply concerning.

He said such a training flight should be operated in open and wide areas like Jashore or Cox’s Bazar, where there’s sea and space. “I just cannot accept training flights in such a crowded residential area,” the BNP leader said.

“I may not know the technical or navigational aspects, but what I saw with my own eyes was so many houses, people all around. So, It doesn’t make sense to train pilots here,” he observed.

The BNP leader said the government and administration have serious responsibilities in this regard. “If they neglect, people’s lives will continue to be at risk.”

Rizvi also pointed out the need for proper urban planning around airports. “There should be a clear plan for what kind of residential areas are allowed near airports. From what I see, this neighbourhood wasn’t developed with any planning. Such dense housing should not exist in this area.”

He said BNP leaders and activists have been asked to provide all-out support to the victims as per the instructions of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. "We are helping with treatment, donating blood, and even suspending some party programmes in solidarity with the victims,"

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 20 people, including the aircraft’s pilot, were killed when the training aircraft crashed into a building of Milestone School and College in Uttara earlier in the day.