Grief turned to rage across Bangladesh on Tuesday as the death toll from a military jet crash into a crowded school campus climbed to 31 – mostly children, marking the nation’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades.
According to Reuters, at least 25 students under age 12 were killed when the F-7 BGI fighter jet slammed into Dhaka’s Milestone School and College Monday afternoon. Pupils had just been dismissed for the day and were playing on swings when the aircraft struck 168.
According to Al Jazeera, flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam (27), reported a mechanical failure moments after takeoff and attempted to steer the aircraft away from populated areas before crashing. He died in the impact.
Beyond the 31 fatalities, 171+ were injured, 69 remain hospitalised, and 10 are in critical condition with severe burns.
CNN reports that interim leader Muhammad Yunus declared a national day of mourning, calling the losses ‘irreparable‘ and a moment of ‘profound pain for the nation’.
At hospitals, victims arrived with charred skin, overwhelming burn units. One student, Raiyan Toufiq, survived by tearing off his burning shirt and rolling on the grass.
By Tuesday, grief-fuelled protests erupted:
- Students stormed Bangladesh’s national secretariat, accusing the government of concealing the true death toll. ‘We saw body parts strewn all over. Where are they?’ demanded a 17-year-old student.
- Police used tear gas, baton, and stun grenades to disperse crowds demanding justice, transparency, and the retirement of ageing jets.
- The government conceded to protester demands, agreeing to publish victim lists and halt training flights over populated areas.
The school, typically bustling with 7 000 students, stood eerily silent on Tuesday. Teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped, mourned, ‘Along with the children, the school has lost its life,’ as indicated by France24.
Children’s belongings, shoes, backpacks and ID cards littered the crash site as forensic teams scoured for remains. Sixth-grader Abul Bashar’s son, who lost his best friend, returned Tuesday, unable to speak. ‘He couldn’t sleep through the night,’ Bashar said.
The air force confirmed an investigation into the mechanical failure of the F-7 BGI, a Chinese variant of the Soviet-era MiG-21. Bangladesh acquired 16 such jets in 2011–2013.
The crash compounds regional aviation safety fears, coming just a month after an Air India crash killed 260 in Ahmedabad 210.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, with military officials examining possible mechanical failure in the ageing F-7 BGI jet. The Bangladesh Air Force has grounded similar aircraft pending review, while the government faces mounting pressure to improve aviation safety protocols.
As funerals continue across Dhaka, the focus shifts to accountability – both for the immediate cause of the crash and broader questions about military aircraft maintenance. The incident, per military records reviewed by international news agencies, marks the deadliest aviation disaster in Bangladesh since 2010.
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