Lieutenant (Retd.) Saifullah Khan Saif, Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Republic Party, expressed his outrage over the use of outdated aircraft for training, following the death of Flight Lieutenant Toukir Islam in a crash caused by mechanical failure.
In a statement to the media on Monday, July 21, 2025, Saifullah Khan highlighted the recurring tragedy of losing skilled pilots to defective aircraft. He referenced the death of Squadron Leader Asim Jawad on May 9, 2024, who lost his life in a similar incident during a training mission due to a mechanically faulty aircraft. In his final moments, Asim diverted the plane away from a populated area, saving many lives. Similarly, Toukir Islam lost his life in another mechanically deficient aircraft, following the same tragic pattern. “Different names, different dates, but the same story. A skilled, brave, brilliant pilot never returned,” Saif said.
In his statement, Saifullah Khan raised critical questions: “Are we still training our pilots with Chinese replica aircraft from 1966? If every training mission is a gamble with death, is this merely an accident, or is it state negligence?” He questioned whether these incidents are solely due to mechanical failures or stem from the negligence of those responsible for budget allocation and decision-making, or a culture of evading responsibility with sympathetic statements in front of cameras.
Saif further criticized the continued use of 1970s-era aircraft, which are obsolete in modern warfare and unsuitable for training. “Many countries sent these planes to recycling plants 20-30 years ago. Yet, we continue to hand over these dilapidated aircraft to our talented, motivated, and energetic young pilots. This is not development; it is suicidal negligence,” he stated.
He emphasized that training a pilot requires billions of taka, years of time, physical and mental resilience, and the nation’s finest talent. “Yet, you put those lives at risk due to budget manipulation and a culture of evading accountability? The responsibility for these deaths does not lie with maintenance teams or rusted parts but with those who make decisions, allocate budgets, oversee operations, and remain silent every time,” Saif asserted.
He added, “We know you will visit hospitals, express sympathy, stand before cameras and say you are ‘grieved’ or ‘deeply shocked,’ and offer nominal compensation to the families. Then what? Everything will continue as before. Another tender will be issued, and more lives will be put at risk in the name of purchasing old planes.”
Saifullah Khan called for genuine accountability, a full audit of the defense budget’s implementation and effectiveness, and immediate investment in the actual development of the defense forces. “This so-called ‘training’ and ‘modernization’ is nothing but a farce of planned negligence,” he concluded.
Note For Readers:
The CEO handles all legal and staff issues. Claiming human help before the first hearing isn't part of our rules.
Our system uses humans and AI, including freelance journalists, editors, and reporters.
The CEO can confirm if your issue involves a person or AI.
by 
