Dhaka, July 22 (Reuters) – The death toll from Monday’s fighter jet crash into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara has risen to 31, with 165 more injured, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Most of the victims were schoolchildren, many under the age of 12, who were just minutes away from heading home when the tragedy struck.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI jet, operated by the Bangladesh Air Force, was on a routine training flight when it suffered a mechanical failure and crashed into the school campus, setting off a massive fire and collapsing parts of the building. The pilot, who attempted to divert the aircraft from populated areas, was also among the dead.
The ISPR confirmed that 16 victims died at the Combined Military Hospital, 10 at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, two at Lubana General Hospital, and one each at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital, and United Hospital. Authorities urged the public not to fall for misinformation and said this was the official casualty count as of 2:15 PM on Tuesday.
As word of the tragedy spread, mourning quickly gave way to anger and protests. Students from Milestone and nearby schools gathered in large numbers, shouting “Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!” when officials visited the crash site.
Elsewhere, demonstrators stormed the gates of the federal secretariat, demanding the resignation of top education advisers. Police baton-charged the crowd and pushed them back, triggering further unrest in a city already reeling from the disaster.
The government has launched an investigation, but public frustration is mounting. Abul Hossain, the father of nine-year-old Nusrat Jahan Anika, who perished in the crash, broke down while speaking to the media. “I had no idea it would be the last time I’d see her,” he said.
Rubina Akter, whose son Raiyan Toufiq escaped with minor burns, said, “His shirt caught fire on the stairs. He jumped to the grass and rolled to put it out. That probably saved his life.”
This is one of the deadliest air accidents involving a military aircraft in Bangladesh’s recent history, and it has reignited debates over aviation safety, military training near civilian zones, and emergency preparedness in schools.