The pilot who was flying the F7 aircraft that crashed into a building of Milestone College in Dhaka's Uttara has been identified as Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar.

According to ISPR, Flight Lieutenant Sagar, of the 35 squadron, 76 BAFA course, died while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). 

Sagar reportedly completed his first 100 hours of flight training during his cadet years in PT-6 aircraft.

He later served with the 15th Squadron, where he logged approximately 60 hours of flight time, before joining the 35th Squadron.

Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam was flying solo for the first time on Monday.

Joy turned into heartbreak for the family members of Sagar while they were celebrating Towkir‘s milestone flight of first solo flying since morning. But finally their celebration turned into mourning.

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Pilot tried to take the plane to a less populated area: ISPR

The deceased Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam's family lived in a rented house called Ashraya Bhaban in Sector 3, a suburb of Rajshahi City. His father Tohurul Islam, mother Saleha Khatun, sister Srishti and brother-in-law lived in that house. His father was in the import-export business. 

Towkir, nicknamed Sagar, was originally from Kansat in Chapainawabganj. He studied at Pabna Cadet College and was commissioned into the Bangladesh Air Force in 2017. He had recently married a private university lecturer.

A special Air Force helicopter flew his parents and sister to the capital in the afternoon. 

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday said Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam had tried to take the ill-fated fighter plane to a safer place with a thinly populated area as part of his effort to avoid the accident.

The Bangladesh Air Force has already formed a high-level committee to investigate the cause behind the accident, it said in a statement floated for the media this afternoon.    

As part of the regular training session, the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft took off from the Kurmitola Biman Bandar

The Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed minutes after it took off from AK Khandaker base at Kurmitola around 1:06pm due to a technical glitch (to be known after investigation), said the ISPR.

The pilot had hatched every possible effort to avoid the accident, but unfortunately, the aircraft crashed into a two-storey building of Milestone School and College in Diabari area, leaving 19 dead and over 164 injured, it said.