Staff Correspondent:

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has asked his party men to stand beside the families who lost their children and whose children were injured during the plane crash at Milestone School and College on Monday.

The BNP leader also suspended several pre-scheduled programme of his party and its different front and associate bodies for Tuesday, prioritising the voluntary efforts related to the plane crash.

In a press statement floated for the media on Tuesday by the BNP media cell, Tarique, now residing in London, also sought eternal peace for the departed souls and extended sympathy to those who lost their children in the disastrous plane crash.

Soon after the information, Tarique asked Rafiqul Islam, health affairs secretary of BNP central committee, to rush to the spot with an ambulance in a bid to smoothly conduct the rescue operation.

Tarique has been consciously keeping his close watch and overseeing the rescue operation since the accident took place, said the statement.

He asked leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal, Swechasebak Dal and the members of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), a professional organisation for registered MBBS and BDS doctors in Bangladesh, politically aligned with BNP, to help ensure treatment facilities for the victims.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the catastrophic crash has risen to 31, while 165 individuals, including students of the educational institution, are now undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Dhaka.

Earlier, the plane took off from BAF Base Bir Uttom AK Khandker at 1:06 pm on Monday and crashed shortly after due to a technical glitch, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).