The Ex-Forces Association has strongly condemned what it described as "propaganda" by a vested interest group aimed at tarnishing the dignity of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and undermining the morale of its members.
The remarks were made at a press conference held on Wednesday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, addressed by the association's president, Lieutenant (Retd) Saifullah Khan Saif.
Saifullah Khan Saif claimed that the individual who filed a court petition in connection with the Milestone School and College aircraft crash case in Uttara, Dhaka, is a member of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed ethnic insurgent group.
The association, formed by former sick and retired members of the armed forces, said it convened the briefing to present its position on protecting the dignity, morale, and national interests of the military.
In a written statement, it alleged that a group had been attempting to question the professionalism of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and damage their institutional image.
It further said that as Bangladesh moves to strengthen its national interests, sovereignty, and a "Bangladesh First" foreign policy, alongside efforts to modernise the armed forces, "misleading information and motivated campaigns" are being spread.
The statement added that scrutiny of the air force had increased since modernisation efforts, including the procurement of fighter aircraft and advanced defence technologies.
Separately, last Thursday, Usaimong Marma, father of deceased student Ukya Chhaing Marma, filed an application seeking to initiate a case against 16 individuals, including former interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, over alleged negligence in the Milestone School and College crash.
Following the application, social media posts claimed the petitioner had gone into hiding and that police had conducted a raid at his residence in Rangamati. These claims could not be independently verified.
