The nation is still reeling from the shocking air crash in Dhaka yesterday when a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet plummeted into Milestone School and College in Uttara.
Amidst double digit deaths that continue to rise, and the incomprehensible tragedy that it is mostly children who have lost their lives in this catastrophe, and with today rightfully declared a national day of mourning, we must call not just for investigation and understanding just how this all happened, but also national unity and collective understanding.
Before everything else, we must set aside divisive blame and unite in mourning. However, as we do so, we must find the strength to change what is broken.
Bangladesh’s record of air safety is checkered and a review of aviation incidents reveals a most distressing frequency; in the past two decades, Bangladesh has experienced several major aircraft accidents, including the 2018 US-Bangla Airlines crash in Kathmandu along with recurring runway overshoots and technical failures.
While it is easy to point blame at the aircraft, there are far broader issues with our culture of disregard and indifference, which result in suboptimal maintenance, procurement, and general oversight. When inspections are more reactionary rather than preventive, and when institutional accountability is often opaque, the scope for tragedy only increases.
It is about time we stopped treating maintenance as mere compliance on paper, or giving it importance only after some sort of tragedy before discarding it almost immediately. As this incident gets investigated, which is a must, we need independent audits that are transparent and actual action that occurs after the investigation to bring about the change needed.
The most heartbreaking component of this tragedy is the loss of the lives of so many children. The devastating crash of Air India Flight AI-171 near Ahmedabad on June 12 had already reignited global concerns about safety in densely populated urban zones, and the crash yesterday leaves little doubt that our air strips and airport are far too close to people, putting the lives of too many people in danger on a daily basis.
The spotlight once again harshly falls on Dhaka’s unchecked urban density around critical infrastructure, with homes, markets, and schools ever closer to airport perimeters. While pilot errors or mechanical failure should be minimized, our unchecked urbanization is at fault once again for the loss of so many lives, turning an aviation accident into what has heartbreakingly transformed into a civilian catastrophe.
Of course, as we mourn and process the shock, we must also insist on a credible, independent investigation into what caused this crash. A tragedy of this magnitude demands a thorough investigation, not just one looking for scapegoats to blame or for the media to latch on to. Such an investigation must reach the root by examining regulatory systems, maintenance records, flight communications, and any and all relevant context.
While we must look to ensure that such a preventable tragedy is truly never repeated. However, once again, as we demand answers and policy change, we must resist the urge to tear at one another. Finger-pointing and division will not bring back the lives lost. In times like this, grieving families and communities need support and not generalized blame.
As we try to move on from this calamity, we must find strength and resolve. Above all else, we must do our best to honour the lives of all those who perished yesterday. For that, let us, as one nation, channel this anguish into action, and bring in effective maintenance, responsible urbanization, and a culture of safety and transparency.
