Pilot Tauqir’s first namaz-e-janaza held in Kurmitola

The first funeral prayer (namaz-e-janaza) of Flight Lieutenant Md Tauqir Islam Sagar, who died in Monday’s plane crash, was held in Kurmitola, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

The janaza took place around 1:05 pm. Following the prayer, his body was flown to Rajshahi on a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft. Tauqir's father, uncle, and other Air Force officials accompanied the body on the flight.

Preparations for his burial began earlier in the morning. Tauqir will be laid to rest at the Sapura graveyard in Rajshahi. His uncle, Motiur Rahman, said the burial is scheduled for the afternoon, following a second janaza at the Eidgah field in the Upashahar area.

The family had traveled to Dhaka after receiving the news of Tauqir’s death on Monday.

Earlier, a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that Flight Lieutenant Tauqir made every effort to steer the aircraft away from a densely populated area and toward an isolated spot to minimize casualties and damage. Despite his efforts, the aircraft crashed into a two-story building of Milestone School and College in the Diabari area of Uttara.

According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI fighter jet had taken off from BAF Base Kurmitola at 1:06 PM on Monday as part of a routine training mission. Shortly after takeoff, it suffered a mechanical failure, leading to the tragic accident.