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Published : 29 Jun 2015, 09:26 PM
The fighter’s pilot Flight Lieutenant Rumman Tahmid Chowdhury is still missing since the crash that occurred during a training run around noon.
The joint search and rescue operation, that includes Air Force, Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard personnel, did not find him until 7:30pm.
Rumman Chowdhury is the son of Abdul Qader Chowdhury of Chittagong’s Anwara Upazila. The family lives in Dhaka.
Three Navy ships were conducting the search when a Coast Guard boat took journalists to the scene of the accident in the sea.
Another ship and three metal shark patrol boats of the Coast Guard were also assisting in the rescue efforts.
Three Air Force helicopters were also seen in the air scouring the sea for Rumman and other parts of the plane.
Coast Guard East zone officer Lt Commander Durul Huda told bdnews24.com that the pieces of debris were found five miles west from Patenga beach during the search.
The operation was moving towards north, he added.
Flight Lieutenant Rumman Tahmid Chowdhury. Photo taken from Facebook
A ship and a boat of Bangladesh Coast Guard conducting a search and rescue in the sea. Photo: Sumon Babu/bdnews24.com
The authorities could not confirm whether the pilot, the only person aboard, could get out of the plane before it crashed.
According to witnesses, the training aircraft crashed in the sea at 11:20am after taking off from the BAF Base Zahurul Haque, next to Shah Amanat International Airport in the port city.
Md Babul Hawlader, watchman of ship MV Alexander which was anchored on the outer anchorage, told bdnews24.com that he was speaking to several Indians on the ship’s deck when the incident took place.
“I was pointing towards the airport as they wanted to know where it was. I saw the plane taking off at that time. A bit later, it crashed in the sea right before my eyes. The time was 11:20am,” he said.
Hawlader called an officer of the navy he knew right away.
“I saw two hands in the water after the plane crashed. I showed the spot to Navy and Coast Guard personnel when they arrived,” he added.
Shah Amanat International Airport’s Manager Wing Commander Nur E Alam earlier in the day said the control tower had lost contact with the aircraft at 11:10am.
“The search started right away. At 11:45am it was confirmed that the plane had crashed into the sea six miles off the Patenga beach,” he said.
The Air Force was yet to determine the reason behind the crash.
Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate Assistant Director Nur Islam told bdnews24.com that a probe committee would be formed to find the reason.
He refused to give further details, but said a press release would be issued later.
