Bangladesh School Tragedy: Hospital Anguish as Jet Strikes Children
Bangladesh’s Largest Aviation Tragedy in Decades
At least 19 people died when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a private school campus in Dhaka.
Victims and the Scene
- More than 150 children and teachers were rushed to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute for treatment.
- The crash occurred moments after students were dismissed at Milestone School and College (Milestone).
- Students from the school’s two playgrounds watched as a boom echoed; the jet fell into the junior playground.
Personal Losses
- Tofazzal Hossain (30) broke into tears after discovering his eighth‑grade cousin had been killed.
- Shafiur Rahman Shafi (18) remembered a sudden spike in the air and that the jet’s fire was captured by army helicopters.
- Monsur Helal (46) waited grimly as his wife, school coordinator Mahrin, lay unconscious on life support.
Treatment and Community Response
At the hospital’s intensive care unit, mothers shared harrowing stories and comforted one another. Dozens of volunteers lined up to donate blood.
National Mourning
The interim government led by President Muhammad Yunus declared a day of national mourning on Tuesday.
Historical Context
The crash is the worst aviation accident in Bangladesh in several decades. The deadliest disaster occurred in 1984 when a plane flying from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, killing all 49 on board.
