A day of routine learning turned into an unimaginable horror on Monday afternoon when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet plummeted from the sky and slammed into the campus of Milestone School and College in Dhaka, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 170 others. The devastating crash, which ripped through a two-story building during school hours, has plunged the nation into mourning, with many of the deceased confirmed to be young students.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft had taken off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base A.K. Khandaker in Kurmitola at approximately 1:06 p.m. local time. Moments later, a “technical malfunction” occurred. According to a statement from the military, the pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made a valiant effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. However, despite his heroic attempt, the jet crashed directly into the school campus in the Uttara neighborhood. The pilot was among those killed in the catastrophic incident.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of pure terror. Students reported the school buildings trembling violently, followed by a deafening explosion that sent them scrambling for safety. “What I saw I can’t describe that… that’s terrible,” said Estiak Elahi Khan, an 11th-grade student who fought through crowds to get near the crash site. Videos from the aftermath showed thick black smoke billowing from the school building, as panicked relatives converged on the scene, frantically searching for their loved ones. Screams filled the air at nearby hospitals as the injured, many suffering from severe burns, were rushed in by helicopters, motorized rickshaws, and even carried in the arms of firefighters and desperate parents.
Officials confirmed that at least 20 people had died, with local media reports indicating that most of the fatalities were students attending afternoon classes. More than 60 students, many aged between 12 and 16, were transferred to a specialized hospital for burn victims, overwhelming local medical facilities. Rescuers, including army personnel, firefighters, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) platoons, continued to scour the debris late into the night, using cranes to remove wreckage and search for more bodies.
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, expressed his profound sorrow over the “heartbreaking accident” and declared a national day of mourning for Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country. “The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” Yunus stated, calling it “a moment of deep national grief.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his condolences, expressing shock and sadness and offering India’s solidarity and support.
The Milestone School and College, a well-known private institution in Dhaka’s populous Uttara neighborhood, serves approximately 2,000 students ranging from elementary to high school. The tragedy has raised immediate questions about military aircraft safety in densely populated urban areas and the condition of the Air Force’s training fleet. A high-level Air Force committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the accident.
This crash marks the deadliest aviation incident in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory, leaving an indelible scar on the community and serving as a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences when human error or mechanical failure intersect with the lives of innocent civilians.