Plane Crashes into Milestone: 783 Students Were Present in the Building Even at 1 PM

Staff Correspondent. Dhaka, July 23, 2025.

An F-7 BGI training aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force crashed into a building of Milestone School and College in the capital’s Uttara area of Diyabari on July 21, 2025. The building was used by 783 students, most of whom were primary and secondary school students, who were dismissed at 1 pm, and the fighter jet crashed into the building at 1:13 pm. At least 31 people were killed and more than 165 injured in the tragic accident, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Most of the dead were children.

Accident details

After taking off at 1:18 pm on July 21, the plane crashed into the roof of the two-story building called ‘Haidar Hall’ of Milestone School due to a mechanical fault. The building caught fire immediately after the plane crashed, causing burns and injuries to many students. According to eyewitnesses, classes and coaching for grades one to seven were going on in the building at the time of the accident. Md. Rezaul Haque, a lecturer at Milestone, said, “There were about 30 students in each classroom. Although rescue was possible on the second floor, the students on the ground floor suffered more burns.”

Casualty statistics and rescue efforts

According to ISPR, 31 people were killed in the accident. Of the injured, 165 are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Dhaka, including 28 at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Hospital sources said most of the injured are children, and many are in critical condition. Eight units of the Fire Service, the army, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents took part in the rescue operation.

Student protests and demands

On the morning of July 22, the day after the accident, Milestone students held a peaceful protest at the Diabari roundabout. They raised six-point demands, including publishing an accurate list of the dead and injured, providing compensation, canceling risky flights, and reforming the training system. The students blocked the road with banners and placards with slogans like ‘We don’t want justice, we want the body of our child’ and ‘We want justice’. When Legal Advisor Asif Nazrul and Education Advisor CR Abrar visited the college, they faced the wrath of the students.

Allegations of concealment of information

There has been confusion over the number of dead and injured following the accident. Some social media users have claimed that the number of dead is being ‘hidden’. Responding to these allegations, Milestone teacher Purnima Das said, “We are teachers, not politicians. We are trying to get the bodies of every student to their families.” She urged people not to spread rumours. The school authorities said that many students had left as classes had ended at the time of the accident, but around 100-220 students were present for coaching.

Government response and criticism

The interim government’s chief adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has expressed deep sorrow over the incident. However, there have been allegations of the government withholding information and the army using excessive force. Critics say that Dr. Yunus is trying to suppress criticism from political parties over the incident. Although he met with left-wing parties in the name of building unity against fascism, he has taken unilateral decisions on important national issues, which is against democratic values.

Grief and impact

Milestone School has been closed until July 27 following the accident. The main gate of the school is locked, and a crowd of parents and media personnel were seen outside the gate. A day of national mourning has been observed, and HSC exams have been postponed. The Bangladesh cricket team dedicated their recent victory to the memory of those killed in Milestone.

The disaster that hit the Milestone building, which houses 783 students, has stunned the nation. Parents are still searching for their children in hospitals. “The places where children were playing two days ago are now locked,” said a local resident. Although the investigation committee has begun its work, there are growing demands for transparency regarding the exact list of victims and the cause of the accident.