DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Hundreds of students gathered for protests near the site of a tragic incident where a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in the capital city. The students expressed their demands for accountability, compensation for the victims' families, and a halt to training flights with older aircraft. This follows the increasing death toll from the crash, which has risen to 31, including at least 25 students and a teacher who died from severe burn injuries sustained while attempting to help others escape the flaming building.
The incident took place on July 21, 2025, when the Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a "technical malfunction" shortly after takeoff from the A.K. Khandaker air force base. The jet crashed into the school, resulting in a catastrophic fire that destroyed the two-story building. Firefighters and rescue teams worked tirelessly to secure the site in the densely populated Uttara neighborhood, while the military launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash.
Firefighters managed to rescue 171 individuals, predominantly students, many of whom suffered from burns and were transported from the scene via helicopters, ambulances, and rickshaws. The students protesting demanded an official list of the deceased and injured, adequate compensation for the victims' families, and an immediate cessation of the use of "outdated and unsafe" training aircraft. Tensions escalated when protesting students claimed that security officials resorted to violence against them and their teachers during the demonstration.
Further exacerbating the anger was the arrival of two senior government advisers at the crash site, which led to chaos as students attempted to shield themselves. In separate demonstrations, students marched towards the country’s administrative headquarters, condemning the education adviser for delaying the cancellation of public exams, a decision many felt was disrespectful given the national day of mourning.
Witnesses, like an 11th-grade student identified only as Smriti, recounted terrifying moments just before the crash, describing the loud, ear-piercing roar of the approaching aircraft. She vividly recalled seeing flames erupt from the school building and discovered several children who were critically injured or dead, expressing despair over the irreplaceable loss for their families.
As of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 78 people remained hospitalized, with reports indicating that the condition of many of the injured is critical. The Bangladesh government declared a national mourning day, lowering flags across the country to honor those lost, while victims' families awaited the return of their loved ones’ remains at a specialized burn hospital.
The pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, was reported to have made attempts to divert the aircraft towards a less populated area before the crash, as he was completing his first solo flight. Funeral prayers for the pilot began on Tuesday, and a subsequent service is planned in Rajshahi district where his family resides.
This incident marks the deadliest plane crash in Bangladesh in recent memory, highlighting crucial concerns about pilot training and aircraft safety. In 2008, another F-7 training jet mishap claimed the life of its pilot, underscoring ongoing safety issues within the air force training program.
