Milestone School and College, one of the largest private educational institutions in Dhaka, is located in Diabari, only about five kilometres from the runway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The 10-story building, situated close to the airport’s flight path, has long been a subject of safety concerns.
These concerns intensified after a recent catastrophic plane crash on the school premises, raising renewed questions: How safe is it to operate a multi-story school building with thousands of students so close to an airport runway?
Experts point out that, according to international standards, high-rise constructions and large gatherings near airports are strictly regulated. Yet in Dhaka, such rules are rarely enforced. The incident has sparked criticism regarding the role of the relevant authorities and their approach to risk management.
On July 21, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft lost control and crashed into the Milestone College building in Diabari. So far, 35 people have been reported dead, and over a hundred have been hospitalized with injuries.
An on-site visit revealed that the Milestone College building, located near the Diabari Metro Rail Depot, lies just 4.5 to 5 kilometres in a straight line from the northern runway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The busy airport handles flights from various domestic and international airlines, with every landing aircraft flying directly over the school building—placing it at particular risk.
Aviation experts note that, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, the construction of high-rise buildings—especially public facilities like schools—near runways is considered hazardous and should be strictly regulated. However, the implementation of these policies in Dhaka is almost nonexistent.
They further emphasize that any structure—whether a building, radio tower, mobile phone tower, water tank, billboard, or other permanent or temporary infrastructure—within an eight-kilometre radius of a runway legally requires a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Air Commodore (retd.) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury said: “The closer a structure is to a runway, the lower its height should be. Some areas are no-build zones. If you look at a map, you’ll see this school is exactly in the centerline of the flight path. Every aircraft flies directly over it. We need to reconsider whether permission for this school was ever appropriate—or whether the authorities even followed the rules when allowing its construction.”
According to CAAB and ICAO guidelines, airports have a designated “Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS)” around them, which defines maximum height restrictions for buildings to ensure safe takeoff and landing. In particular, all structures within takeoff and landing paths are considered highly risky and require strict height and usage restrictions.
While CAAB permits construction of buildings up to 10 stories within a five-kilometre radius of an airport runway, experts argue that allowing a school in this zone is extremely dangerous. “Thousands of students occupy these premises daily. In the event of an aviation accident or major operational failure, the risk of mass casualties is very high, especially in densely populated areas like Dhaka,” said aviation specialist and former air force officer ATM Nazrul Islam. He added: “The government should never have allowed residential or institutional settlements near airports. Past governments cannot evade responsibility for this negligence.”
Highlighting possible negligence by CAAB and Rajuk in allowing the construction of a school so close to the runway, Professor Dr Adil Muhammad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), said: “The school is located about 4 to 5 kilometres from the runway. While buildings of up to 10 stories may be constructed at this distance, facilities such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and mosques should not be built there, as these attract large gatherings of people. Yet Rajuk and CAAB allowed the construction of a school in this area without imposing any restrictions.”
He added: “All types of public-gathering institutions within the airport’s flight approach zone need to be gradually relocated. Otherwise, the risk of such accidents will always remain.”
ICAO safety guidelines also discourage the establishment of high-density facilities such as schools, hospitals, markets, or sports stadiums near airport zones.
Speaking outside the school, the mother of a seventh-grader said: “We never realized that sending our children to a school here could be risky. Now we constantly worry about their safety. After such a huge accident, who can assure us it won’t happen again?”
Nafis Rahman, a ninth-grade student, expressed his fears: “Dozens of planes fly right over our school every day. We didn’t know it was dangerous. But after the accident, everyone says it’s unsafe to have a school here. Now we’re always scared.”
Zakir Hossain, Assistant Director of Rajuk, said: “All buildings in the capital require Rajuk’s approval before construction. However, for any structure near an airport, both Rajuk and CAAB approvals are mandatory. Without permission from these two authorities, no construction around an airport is legally possible.”
Repeated calls to the office of the CAAB chairman went unanswered. When contacted, CAAB spokesperson AKM Rezaul Karim declined to comment on the matter.
When contacted by phone for comments, the school’s principal, Lutfunnesa Lopa, disconnected the call upon learning the reporter’s identity. Subsequent attempts to reach her went unanswered.