Three children who used to play together now laid to rest side by side

A tragic plane crash near Milestone School and college in capital's Uttara took the lives of three children — Arian, Bappi, and Humayer. These children, from the same extended family, were inseparable — at school, coaching classes, and on the playground. But on that heartbreaking Monday, their smiling faces became lifeless. They are now buried side by side in the same neighborhood where they used to play, in the mosque area of Tarartek of Diabari.

According to the families of the victims, on Monday morning, as usual, Bappi and Humayer — both third-grade students — and Arian — a fourth-grade student — went to Milestone School together. After school ended at 11.00am, they attended a coaching class. They were supposed to return home by 1:30pm. But all hopes were shattered when a military aircraft crashed into the school that afternoon. Bappi and Arian were rescued alive from the crash site, but all three children died later while receiving treatment in the hospital. Two other students also died in the incident; their bodies were taken to their villages for burial.

Although the children were uncle and nephews, their close ages made them more like friends. Arian was 10, while Bappi and Humayer were both 9. They were classmates, playmates, and constant companions. Bappi’s father, Mohammad Abu Shahin, told the media, “The plane crashed into the class just before my son’s. I understood then that my son was no more.”

“My brother’s son Humayr died at 3 a.m. in the hospital. My own son Bappi was the last to die,” he added.

On Tuesday, relatives, neighbors, and classmates gathered to attend the funeral prayers of the three children. Arian’s classmate, Raiyan Afnan, who survived because he was at the library during the crash, shared his experience: “I was at school that day, but I had gone to the outside library. Just as I was crossing the main gate, I heard the explosion.”

The entire community is reeling from the shock of this sudden tragedy. Local resident Motaleb Hossain said, “Only a day ago, I saw those children heading to school and playing together — and now they’re no longer with us.”

Now, the three graves lying side by side stand as silent witnesses to the heartbreaking loss of these young lives.