One person was killed and four others, including the pilot, were injured as a helicopter crashed in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar yesterday.
The accident happened around 9:45am when the chopper of Meghna Aviation Limited was returning to Dhaka after dropping off cricketer Shakib Al Hasan at a resort in Cox's Bazar.
The reason behind the incident could not be known until last night.
The dead is Sheikh Mohammad Shah Alam, 32, an employee of Ogilvy Bangladesh, an advertising and brand communications agency. He was from Rajapur village of Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila, police said.
The injured are pilot Wing Commander (retd) Shafiqur Rahman, Shariful Islam, another staff of Ogilvy Bangladesh, and his two sons.
Of the injured, Shafiqur was taken to a Bangladesh Air Force hospital in Cox's Bazar, an officer of Meghna Aviation Limited told The Daily Star. Details of the three other injured could not be known immediately. However, locals and police said they suffered minor injuries.
Omar Faruk, sub-inspector of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said Shakib flew to Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort, near Inani Sea Beach, for a television commercial shoot around 9:30am.
The helicopter crashed with a loud bang near Rejukhal Sea Beach area some 10 to 15 minutes after it took off for Dhaka with four passengers, said Abdul Malek, deputy assistant director of Cox' Bazar fire station.
Fishermen and locals rescued the injured and took them to the hospital.
Abul Bashar, an eyewitness, said the condition of one of the injured seemed critical.
Three of the other passengers looked alright and got inside a car on foot while the pilot was saying he had high blood pressure, he said.
Rafiqul Islam, a physician at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, said Shah Alam was brought dead there.
After the accident, firefighters rushed to the spot and stopped spillage of fuel from the helicopter, said fire station official, Abdul Malek.
The chopper had crashed on water before it receded during ebb tide, he added.
Around 3:00pm, labourers were seen gathering debris of the helicopter at a nearby place.
Sadhan Kumar Mohanta, the manager of Cox's Bazar airport, said the accident spot was out of the purview of their control tower through which they communicate with flights and helicopters.
Besides, the accident happened before the tower started its day's operation, he said, adding, that was why they could not determine the reason behind the accident immediately.
“We will have to wait for some days to find it out.”
Saiful Alam, flight operations officer of Meghna Aviation Limited, told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon that a six-member team comprising officials of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh visited the spot to investigate the incident.
“Once the investigation is over, the reason behind the crash will be known,” he said adding that the chopper was Robinson R66, a turbine-powered helicopter designed and built by US-based Robinson Helicopter Company.
Established in 2011, Meghna Aviation Limited, an enterprise of Meghna Group of Industries, is a helicopter transport provider, according to its website.
Contacted, Khorshed Alam, chief marketing officer of Meghna Aviation Limited, claimed that the helicopter was flying ensuring all the necessary safety measures.
Meanwhile, quoting the family members of the deceased and locals, a correspondent from Satkhira reports that Shah Alam was the youngest among his three siblings. He got married in 2015 and his wife is expecting a child.
He was living in Jatrabari area of the capital, his cousin Anisur Rahman said.
“I had asked him [Shah Alam] to come home during this Eid but he did not as he had work... now I'll never be able to see him again,” said his mother Latifa Begum, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Following his death, Ogilvy Bangladesh on its Facebook page said, “We mourn with great sorrow the demise of our beloved colleague Shah Alam who passed away in a tragic accident earlier this morning. He was a very kind and gentle person. He would smile always....”
The accident happened around 9:45am when the chopper of Meghna Aviation Limited was returning to Dhaka after dropping off cricketer Shakib Al Hasan at a resort in Cox's Bazar.
The reason behind the incident could not be known until last night.
The dead is Sheikh Mohammad Shah Alam, 32, an employee of Ogilvy Bangladesh, an advertising and brand communications agency. He was from Rajapur village of Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila, police said.
The injured are pilot Wing Commander (retd) Shafiqur Rahman, Shariful Islam, another staff of Ogilvy Bangladesh, and his two sons.
Of the injured, Shafiqur was taken to a Bangladesh Air Force hospital in Cox's Bazar, an officer of Meghna Aviation Limited told The Daily Star. Details of the three other injured could not be known immediately. However, locals and police said they suffered minor injuries.
Omar Faruk, sub-inspector of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said Shakib flew to Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort, near Inani Sea Beach, for a television commercial shoot around 9:30am.
The helicopter crashed with a loud bang near Rejukhal Sea Beach area some 10 to 15 minutes after it took off for Dhaka with four passengers, said Abdul Malek, deputy assistant director of Cox' Bazar fire station.
Fishermen and locals rescued the injured and took them to the hospital.
Abul Bashar, an eyewitness, said the condition of one of the injured seemed critical.
Three of the other passengers looked alright and got inside a car on foot while the pilot was saying he had high blood pressure, he said.
Rafiqul Islam, a physician at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, said Shah Alam was brought dead there.
After the accident, firefighters rushed to the spot and stopped spillage of fuel from the helicopter, said fire station official, Abdul Malek.
The chopper had crashed on water before it receded during ebb tide, he added.
Around 3:00pm, labourers were seen gathering debris of the helicopter at a nearby place.
Sadhan Kumar Mohanta, the manager of Cox's Bazar airport, said the accident spot was out of the purview of their control tower through which they communicate with flights and helicopters.
Besides, the accident happened before the tower started its day's operation, he said, adding, that was why they could not determine the reason behind the accident immediately.
“We will have to wait for some days to find it out.”
Saiful Alam, flight operations officer of Meghna Aviation Limited, told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon that a six-member team comprising officials of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh visited the spot to investigate the incident.
“Once the investigation is over, the reason behind the crash will be known,” he said adding that the chopper was Robinson R66, a turbine-powered helicopter designed and built by US-based Robinson Helicopter Company.
Established in 2011, Meghna Aviation Limited, an enterprise of Meghna Group of Industries, is a helicopter transport provider, according to its website.
Contacted, Khorshed Alam, chief marketing officer of Meghna Aviation Limited, claimed that the helicopter was flying ensuring all the necessary safety measures.
Meanwhile, quoting the family members of the deceased and locals, a correspondent from Satkhira reports that Shah Alam was the youngest among his three siblings. He got married in 2015 and his wife is expecting a child.
He was living in Jatrabari area of the capital, his cousin Anisur Rahman said.
“I had asked him [Shah Alam] to come home during this Eid but he did not as he had work... now I'll never be able to see him again,” said his mother Latifa Begum, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Following his death, Ogilvy Bangladesh on its Facebook page said, “We mourn with great sorrow the demise of our beloved colleague Shah Alam who passed away in a tragic accident earlier this morning. He was a very kind and gentle person. He would smile always....”