Dhaka— In one of the deadliest peacetime aviation disasters in recent Bangladeshi history, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft, identified as a Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet, crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in the densely populated Uttara area of Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
Crash into a School: A Nation in Mourning
The aircraft, which had taken off at 1:06 PM, reportedly lost control shortly after takeoff and slammed into a four-storey academic building on the school premises at around 1:15 PM, according to the Bangladesh Ministry of Defence.
The jet burst into flames upon impact, igniting parts of the structure that were filled with students attending their regular classes.
Brigadier General Zahed Kamal, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed that 19 bodies had been recovered from the school compound.
“At least 50 others were critically injured, with burn injuries and blunt trauma,” Kamal said at the crash site, describing the blaze as “intense and fast-moving.”
Chinese Aircraft Under Scrutiny
The F-7 BGI aircraft, which is supplied by China, is a variant of the aging Soviet-era MiG-21 and has been in service with the Bangladesh Air Force as part of its pilot training fleet.
While China has exported the F-7 series to numerous developing countries, concerns have been raised globally about their airworthiness and aging technology.
The crash has reignited debate over Bangladesh’s reliance on outdated or foreign-built military aircraft. Aviation analysts are already questioning whether maintenance and safety protocols were adequately enforced, particularly when such aircraft are being used in densely populated urban training routes.
Dozens Hospitalized; Many in Critical Condition
Md Sayedur Rahman, the special assistant to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for the Health Ministry, confirmed earlier in the day that 72 people were rushed to hospitals, including the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS).
Doctors reported that at least eight of the injured are in critical condition. “The number of injured people being brought to our facility is rising every hour,” a doctor at NIBPS told local reporters, adding that many patients are children who sustained serious burns.
The pilot, identified as Flight Lieutenant Mohammad Towkir Islam, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at CMH. No official comment has yet been made about the possible cause of the crash or the pilot’s last communications.
Eyewitness Accounts: Horror in Broad Daylight
Shocking eyewitness testimonies have begun to emerge. Fahim Hossain, an eleventh-grade student at the school, recounted the moment of impact:
“The jet crashed right in front of me, barely ten feet away. It struck the ground floor where primary school students were in class. Within seconds, the entire area was engulfed in flames.”
Another teacher, speaking anonymously, described the immediate chaos and devastation:
“Security personnel were placing bodies in bags while others desperately searched for missing students. The building hit was home to classes from grades one through seven. It’s unbearable to even imagine what happened inside.”
Emergency Response and National Mourning
In response to the catastrophe, firefighting units, ambulances, and Bangladesh Air Force helicopters were immediately dispatched to the site. The damaged section of the building was swiftly evacuated, and a full rescue operation began.
The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has declared a one-day national mourning on July 22, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government buildings and foreign missions.
In an official statement, Yunus expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of innocent lives:
“I am deeply saddened by the casualties caused by the heartbreaking accident involving a Bangladesh Air Force jet at the Milestone School and College campus. My prayers are with the grieving families and the injured.”
A Wake-Up Call for Military Aviation Safety
This devastating accident has triggered widespread calls for a comprehensive review of Bangladesh’s military aviation protocols, especially regarding urban training flights and the continued use of aging foreign aircraft like the Chinese F-7 BGI.
Human rights groups, aviation safety watchdogs, and citizens alike are demanding that the government:
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Publicly release investigation findings
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Audit all current Air Force aircraft models
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Reassess pilot training routes over civilian zones
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And improve infrastructure resilience for schools and public institutions