Mass protests erupted across Dhaka on Tuesday after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school building the day before, killing at least 31 people, including 25 children. The Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet struck the Milestone School and College in the city's Uttara district during what the military described as a routine solo training flight. The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, was also among the dead.
The crash triggered a national day of mourning and ignited fresh political tensions in a country already facing deep instability. Demonstrations led by students shut down traffic and spread across the capital. Protesters stormed the gates of the Bangladesh Secretariat, the government's administrative headquarters, demanding the resignation of the education adviser and accountability for what they decried as negligence and the use of outdated military aircraft over populated areas.
"The sound was so loud, you can't even imagine," said Smriti, a student who witnessed the crash. "Suddenly, I saw flames rising fiercely upward from the building. Some children were lying with their limbs spread out, lifeless bodies scattered around. Will they ever be able to return to their parents' arms again?"
Authorities said 171 people were rescued from the wreckage, with 78 still hospitalized as of Tuesday, including two dozen in critical condition. The crash is the deadliest air disaster in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. Among the victims was Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher who died after helping evacuate more than 20 students from the burning school.
According to the military, the jet took off from the A.K. Khandaker air base at 1:06 p.m. Monday and encountered a "technical malfunction" shortly after takeoff. The pilot reportedly attempted to steer the aircraft away from populated zones but failed to clear the densely packed school grounds.
Students demanded full publication of victim names, compensation for families, and an end to the use of "unsafe" aircraft for training missions over urban areas. Protesters also accused security forces of assaulting them and manhandling teachers on Monday. Two senior government advisers were forced to take cover inside the school for hours as students demanded their removal.
In response to public pressure, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus issued a statement pledging cooperation between military and civilian authorities to release a list of victims. It also promised to instruct the air force to avoid operating training flights over populated areas.
The F-7 BGI jet involved in the crash is an advanced variant of China's Chengdu J-7, a license-built version of the Soviet-era MiG-21. Bangladesh purchased 16 of the jets in a 2011 deal, with deliveries completed by 2013. Another F-7 crash occurred in 2008, killing the pilot after a technical failure outside Dhaka.
