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, on July 21, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The crash of a military aircraft in Dhaka that killed a large number of students and teachers should be properly investigated and the interim government should publish the names of the victims who perished in this incident, said a human rights outfit that is highlighting the unfolding state of affairs in Bangladesh under the interim government. At a media event held in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) Mohammed Ali Siddiqui, secretary general of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch said the investigation into the incident should be “above politics” and expressed solidarity with the affected people in the recent violent clashes in Gopalganj, the site of the memorial for the founder of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The event organised at the Press Club of India, was held even as Chief Adviser Prof Mohammed Yunus assured the affected families of relief and compensation. Earlier on Tuesday, a protest regarding the deadly crash turned into a clash between the protestors and the law and order authorities in Dhaka leaving several individuals injured. Mr Siddiqui said the interim government has “failed to respond to the legitimate grievances of the grieving public” and said, “On what should have been an ordinary day, the training jet of Bangladesh Air Force crashed onto the school grounds, resulting in the deaths and injuries of many innocent children, dedicated teachers and caring guardians, and the young pilot leaving the nation devastated.”
The Bangladesh Human Rights Watch had organised the event mentioning that former ministers who were part of the deposed Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government would participate in the event. Mr Siddiqui however said that in view of the tragic crash of the Bangladesh Air Force’s Chinese-made F-7 aircraft in Dhaka, the leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League decided to stay away from the event while confirming that some of the top leaders of the Awami League are at present in New Delhi. He further told the reporters at the event that the Awami League which was banned by the interim government led by Prof. Mohammed Yunus will hold events in India in the near future. His team distributed several booklets including a pamphlet documenting the personal details of 110 Members of Parliament of the Awami League and its coalition partners who were sent to prison after the interim government took charge.
Beginning with the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August 2024, the law and order situation in Bangladesh has been marked by frequent clashes between groups, attacks on vulnerable communities and a perceived rise in extremist forces. India has been protesting the attacks on minority religious communities and urged Bangladesh last week to hold an “inclusive” election. India on Tuesday joined China and Japan in assuring assistance to the victims of the deadly fighter jet crash in Dhaka. The Ministry of External Affairs had said, “A team of burn-specialist doctors and nurses with necessary medical support are scheduled to visit Dhaka shortly to treat the victims.”
Published – July 23, 2025 10:54 pm IST
