Panic still grips Uttara residents after deadly plane crash

A heart-wrenching plane crash has shaken the Diabari area of Uttara, Dhaka. Around 1:00 PM on Monday, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft lost control and crashed directly onto the campus of Milestone School and College. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 20 people have been confirmed dead, and over a hundred others injured, most of them students. The pilot, Lieutenant Tawkir, was also killed, and 171 injured victims are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals. The area was immediately engulfed in grief and panic, with smoke thickening the air and the wreckage strewn with scorched clothing and schoolbags. Even hours after the incident, the shock remains palpable across the Uttara neighborhood of the capital.

Eyewitness and security personnel Akbar Hossain told Views Bangladesh that the crash occurred just as school was being dismissed. He described hearing a deafening noise and then seeing a plane crash through a coconut tree before slamming into the building and erupting in flames. Since the school’s lower floor is partly underground, the fire spread rapidly, trapping many people inside.

Tanvir, a student at a nearby hostel, said he witnessed the entire incident unfold before his eyes. "It felt like a movie scene," he told Views Bangladesh. As the aircraft crashed, its fuel tank exploded, and flames swept through the classroom. Tanvir and his friends immediately rushed to help with rescue efforts. He said he saw many bodies lying around—some missing limbs, others so badly burned they were unrecognizable.

So far, the Bangladesh Air Force has not released any official investigation report. However, sources confirm that the crashed aircraft was an F-7 BGI (701) training jet, which was on a routine drill. Apan Ahmed, a nearby excavator operator, said he noticed the aircraft flying unusually low. Moments later, he heard a loud explosion and saw smoke and fire rising from the school building.

Nafisa Tabassum, a student at Milestone School, said a loud bang occurred during class, and soon after, teachers announced there was a fire. Panic broke out as students ran in every direction. Although the fire was brought under control within a short time, it took longer to rescue those trapped on the lower floor. Several students from classes five and six were stuck inside during the incident.

Eight firefighting units, along with personnel from the army, air force, and police, were quickly deployed to the scene. The rescue operation lasted nearly two hours. A senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police told Views Bangladesh that over a hundred students were safely evacuated, most of them children and adolescents.

Following the incident, tension spread rapidly across the Diabari area. Many guardians expressed anger over the air force’s decision to conduct training flights over densely populated zones. One concerned parent said, "We send our children to school to keep them safe. But if the school itself becomes a death trap, where do we turn for safety?"