The nation was plunged into mourning Monday after an F-7BGI fighter jet of the Bangladesh Air Force, suffering a mid-air mechanical malfunction, crashed into Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 160—most of them schoolchildren.
What began as an ordinary school day descended into unimaginable horror as the aircraft slammed into a two-storey school building, engulfing classrooms in fire, smoke, and screams. Survivors, many of them lower-grade students, described the moment as a living nightmare.
The jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari, and fears remain that the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue. The aircraft, a Chinese-built F-7BGI training fighter jet, had taken off from Dhaka at 1:06 PM and struck the school building just 12 minutes later, at 1:18 PM, according to the Fire Service.
Children, dreams lost in a fireball
Every weekday, the bells of Milestone School and College ring routinely, guiding children through lessons and dreams of a better future. Yesterday morning was no different. Children sat quietly in their classrooms, heads buried in books, while parents awaited their return.
But the final bell never rang.
Just ten minutes before classes were due to end, tragedy struck. A massive explosion tore through the school premises as the jet crashed into what students referred to as the "Project-2" building—a two-storey structure housing 16 classrooms and 4 teachers’ rooms.
Third and fourth-grade students were in session when the aircraft hit. Witnesses described a sky filled with smoke and flames, followed by a blast so intense it shattered windows and left bodies charred and limbs torn. Many students were preparing to head home—some collecting their bags, others sitting by the windows, dreaming of university life and proud parents. All of it turned to ash.
Eyewitnesses recall horror
Two ninth-grade students, Fahim Hasan and Abir, recounted the horror to Dhaka Tribune. “Though our break was scheduled for 1 PM, we usually leave ten minutes later. I left by 12:40 PM. As I stepped out, I saw smoke coming from an aircraft overhead. Moments later, it plummeted onto our school building. We heard a massive explosion. What followed was chaos—smoke, screams, and bodies, many burned beyond recognition.”
According to the two students, the plane crashed into the building where lower primary students—grades one through five—study. After school hours, students from sixth to eighth grade attend coaching sessions there.
"Right after the crash, army personnel rushed in. They evacuated us quickly. Some had minor injuries, others were seriously hurt. They moved us away so we wouldn’t go into shock,” said Abir.
ISPR: Jet crash caused by mechanical failure
The F-7BGI fighter jet that crashed into Milestone School suffered a mechanical failure shortly after taking off from BAF Base Kurmitola, the ISPR confirmed.
Despite efforts by pilot Flight Lieutenant Md Tawkir Islam to divert the aircraft away from populated areas, it crashed into the school building. The pilot later died at the hospital. The Air Force has launched a high-level investigation. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with top military and emergency officials remaining at the site.
How many students and teachers were present?
While visiting Milestone College, this correspondent observed how panic and grief spread throughout the area as news of the fatal crash broke.
Thousands of people gathered in front of the school, and parents rushed in search of their children.
Some were reunited. Others rushed to nearby hospitals—clinging to hope, burdened by fear.
Cars and ambulances moved along the path in front of the school, but it was impossible to tell who was inside—wounded students or the deceased.
Witnesses and students estimated that around 300–350 students and about 16 teachers were present at the time of the crash.
Part of the building was instantly engulfed in flames, as jet fuel from the aircraft’s wing spread rapidly through the structure. The rest was blanketed in thick black smoke.
Sajjad Shadi, a student at Milestone School, told Dhaka Tribune, “I was on the field when the plane crashed—just two yards away from the building. There were still ten minutes left before the primary grade classes ended. The plane crashed through the left side of the first floor, near the stairs, and went out the other side.”
“I saw six students and two teachers escape with my own eyes. But the condition of many was terrible. Sixteen wounded—and likely dead—were pulled out right in front of me,” he added.
“Students screamed, ‘Save me, my body is burning.’ Many were on fire. Some children walked out to their guardians, their bodies bloody and burnt. Some were in shock. Those whose flesh was falling off were wrapped in cloth and taken to ambulances,” Shadi continued.
He also said one body was burned so badly, it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a boy or a girl.
A nation in mourning
Within moments, the school campus became ground zero for panic. Parents and relatives rushed in desperation to find their children. Some were reunited. Many still wait.
Photos of missing students are now circulating across social media, bearing heartbreaking captions: “Please help us find them.”
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that Flight Lieutenant Md Tawkir Islam was the pilot aboard the plane. The aircraft—a Chinese-manufactured F-7BGI—was on a training mission when it crashed.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Mohammad Zahid Kamal said that the rescue operation was ongoing, with every available resource deployed to search for survivors amidst the rubble and smoke.
