The victims of the aircraft crash at Milestone School and College in the capital are mostly children who went to their school for study. The entire nation is shaken by the incident. We even had to see our children that way.
The first question that comes to mind from the incident is why is fighter jet training being conducted in such a densely populated area? We want an answer. Before conducting any activity in a densely populated area, a responsible institution should carefully consider the possible consequences. After all, there is always a risk of accidents during flight training.
The second question is, why was a school allowed so close to the airport runway? Urban planners have long been recommending proper zoning and city planning, but none of that has been followed. It is said that aircraft regularly fly over this school. The risk of an accident was always there. Now that it has happened, it should not be dismissed as a mere accident — this is the result of poor planning and irresponsibility.
A few hours after the incident, the government released the numbers of those killed and injured. But by then, photos, videos and various pieces of information had already spread across social media. Naturally, this has led people to suspect that the actual death toll is being hidden. In the past, we have seen attempts to conceal or downplay similar incidents. It is crucial to release information and figures promptly.
Students and teachers at Milestone School were baton-charged on Monday. It must be kept in mind that the death of children in a plane crash is a tragic incident. Naturally, people will be outraged after such an event. People will be angry and frightened; so, they must be shown empathy. It is not a responsible act to charge batons on them.
We saw that the announcement to postpone Tuesday’s HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) and equivalent examinations was made at around 3:00 am. The government did not respond responsibly to the people’s suffering, losses, and overall situation. Instead, it acted arbitrarily. Such behaviour was common under previous governments. We cannot accept such actions under the present one.
In the past too, we have seen that this government takes time to make decisions. And once a decision is made, it often gets reversed. This makes it difficult for the public to place their trust.
Students and teachers at Milestone School were baton-charged on Monday. It must be kept in mind that the death of children in a plane crash is a tragic incident. Naturally, people will be outraged after such an event. People will be angry and frightened; so, they must be shown empathy. It is not a responsible act to charge batons on them. I expect the government will look into the matter and take action against those involved.
Following the plane crash into the Milestone School campus, the government made a Facebook post mentioning a bank account number for anyone willing to help the victims. Later, that post was deleted. This is a ridiculous and irresponsible move. Such actions must end. Why will the government have to collect donations to support the victims?
No role of Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum was seen on Monday after the plane crash. She has been inactive before as well. And yet, health is a very important sector. I do not understand why she has been appointed as a health adviser. No initiatives for reform or any steps to wipe out mismanagement and waste in the health sector is seen either.
We want answers as to what considerations the government uses to appoint individuals to various responsibilities when there is no visible activity from them.
One of the responsibilities of the investigation committee on this plane crash should be to review whether the aircrafts used for training are still airworthy. They must look into whether there were any irregularities or negligence. If there were any, those responsible must be held accountable.
We have seen before that investigation committees are formed in various incidents, but no report is published later. This happened during the past governments. We have seen similar things happening under the current government too. This practice should end. As responsibility is not identified and action is not taken accordingly, similar incidents keep recurring.
* Anu Muhammad is a member of Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee and former professor at Jahangirnagar University.
* Views expressed are of the writer’s own