Tragedy in Dhaka: 20 Killed as Air Force Plane Crashes into School

In one of the worst tragedies in recent Bangladeshi history, a Bangladesh Air Force training plane crashed into a school complex in Dhaka’s suburb Uttara on Monday afternoon. The plane, which crashed at around 1:00 PM local time, killed at least 20 people and left over 170 injured, mostly schoolchildren.

The plane involved was an F-7 fighter aircraft, a Chinese variant of the MiG-21, operated by the Bangladesh Air Force for training exercises. The jet reportedly suffered a critical mechanical breakdown moment after taking off and descended out of control, crashing into the Milestone School and College. The impact caused a huge explosion, which caused fires and pandemonium throughout the school complex.

Witnesses described the aftermath of the crash as bleak. “I saw a massive explosion and came running out,” said Masud Tarik, a school teacher. “There was smoke and flames everywhere. Students were running and screaming all around.” A shaken Class 10 student described, “I had just completed my exam and was coming out of the building when the plane crashed. My best friend was killed right before my eyes.

The timing of the disaster, when students were leaving for the day, was worse than that. The Health Ministry said 17 of the 20 confirmed dead were children between the ages of 10 and 15. Over 50 critically injured victims, most of them suffering severe burns from jet fuel, were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for emergency surgery.

Among the fatalities was the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam. The Bangladesh Armed Forces recognized his attempt to guide the damaged aircraft away from populated areas. Even in his efforts, he could not eject in time. “The pilot demonstrated a great sense of courage during the last moment to his life,” the air force reported. An investigation has been initiated in order to ascertain the specific reason behind the mechanical failure.

At hospitals throughout Dhaka, frantic families swarmed emergency rooms, hoping to find their children. At the Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital, physicians toiled day and night treating young patients with critical burns and inhalation of smoke. Near the Dhaka Burn Institute, eyewitnesses witnessed heartbreak as family members cried, prayed, and waited. A man, his voice shaking, reported, “My eight-year-old nephew perished. His body is in the morgue.”. We were waiting only for him to return from school.” Another dad was repeating over and over, “Where is my son? Where is my son?

In an act of national unity, Bangladesh’s interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus has made Tuesday a day of national mourning. Flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff all over the country. “It is a moment of great sorrow for the country,” Yunus remarked. “All government hospitals have been instructed to give free and full treatment to those who were injured, and all possible assistance to stricken families.

Civilian volunteers rushed in, forming queues to give blood, as emergency responders searched the rubble for survivors. Paramedics, army troops, and firefighters coordinated to pull survivors from the wreckage of the collapsed school. Students were pulled out of the debris, dust and blood covering them, and hurried to ambulances waiting to take them to hospitals.

Aviation officials have now expressed grave concerns regarding the employment of aged aircraft such as the F-7 in practice flights over urban areas. The plane, which dates back to the 1960s, has a chequered record of technical failures. “It’s time to seriously look at using such ageing fighter aircraft,” said one analyst, “particularly when their flight patterns pass directly over housing estates and schools.

Back at the crash site, the devastation was overwhelming. The walls of the school were charred, windows blown out, and books lay scattered on the ground, some stained with blood. Parents stood silently, too stunned to cry. Teachers gathered in prayer, some still in disbelief. “This school was our second home,” said Rezaul Islam, a teacher who survived the crash. “Now, it feels like a graveyard.”

This disaster is one of the country’s worst air disasters in decades, not the fault of the plane’s crew, but for the horrific loss of civilian lives, particularly children. As the country starts to mourn, the critical questions linger: Could it have been avoided? And what needs to be done now to make sure it never occurs again? No parent should ever have to dig a grave for their own child due to a botched training flight. The journey to justice, accountability, and change must start now.