South asian news - Women pilots fly into Bangladesh's history

The appointment of Bangladesh's first two female combat pilots is a milestone in diversifying its military ranks.

Kamran R. Chowdhury for Khabar South Asia in Dhaka

Flight Lieutenant Nayma Haque and Flying Officer Tamanna-E-Lutfi are pioneers of Bangladeshi aviation.

• Flight Lieutenant Nayma Haque's late grandfather, a World War II veteran, inspired the 24-year-old to earn her wings with the Bangladesh Air Force as a combat pilot. [Courtesy of Inter-Service Public Relations directorate, Ministry of Defence, Bangladesh]
  
• Flying Officer Tamanna-E-Lufti, 21, is one of Bangladesh's first two combat pilots. Her father is a retired Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) group captain. [Courtesy of Inter-Service Public Relations directorate, Ministry of Defence, Bangladesh]
  

On December 17th, the pair became the first two women to earn their wings as combat pilots with the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). Their appointment marked another step toward bringing women into the armed forces. It came a few months after 13 female cadets became the first women to join the merchant navy.

"I am proud to be a pilot. I am ready to serve the nation with our slogan 'always, always'," Haque, 24, the youngest of three siblings, told Khabar South Asia.

She and Lutfi trained to be certified to fly the Bell-206 helicopter, which is part of the BAF fleet.

Flying is in the genes of both women. They are following in the footsteps of relatives who served their country as air force pilots.

Lutfi's father, a retired group captain with the BAF and her mother, a housewife, supported her passion to fly and encouraged her to become a pilot.

The young aviator expressed hope that more and more women would be interested in training to become BAF pilots.

"My call to the girls is: 'Don't think of yourself as women; rather think [of yourself] as a human being and work to achieve what you desire,'" said Lutfi, 21.

Haque drew her inspiration from her late grandfather. He died before she was born but served as a combat pilot flying for British-ruled India during World War II.

She enlisted as a flight cadet on June 10th, 2010 – a time when the air force did not appoint women as pilots. It only began recruiting female cadets into its ground services in 2000.

Since joining the BAF, Haque served in its meteorological department, dreaming of becoming a pilot one day. She got her big break last year, when BAF authorities finally decided to appoint female pilots.

"Both male and females can serve equally. The (air force's working) atmosphere is absolutely friendly for female," said Haque, whose parents also supported her dream.

Haque and Lutfi were selected based on their performance in training and on aptitude tests.

"Both of them are excellent in performing as pilots," Flight Commander (training) Shah Mizanul Haque, who trained both, told Khabar. "They can serve the nation very well."

The pilots have been undergoing advanced training at the BAF’s base in Jessore, carrying out operational activities such as evacuation, UN peacekeeping missions and assignments during disasters.

Professor Abdul Latif, chairman of the Islamic Studies department at Rajshahi University, told Khabar: "Islam never debars women from serving the nation maintaining porda (decently covering the body) and ensuring a safe working atmosphere.