[🇧🇩-Airforce] A trainer jet crashes, 19 people die.

[Saif]

BAF JET CRASH: Death toll reaches 35

The death toll from the July 21 fighter jet crash into a building of Milestone School and College at Uttara in the capital reached 35 as two more victims succumbed to their burn injuries on Saturday.

www.newagebd.net

BAF JET CRASH: Death toll reaches 35
Six students discharged
Staff Correspondent 26 July, 2025, 10:21

Bangladesh Air Force personnel inspect the crash site a day after a training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka on July 22, 2025. A Bangladeshi fighter jet crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka on July 21, 2025, killing at least 34 people and injuring more than 100 in the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades. | AFP file photo.

The death toll from the July 21 fighter jet crash into a building of Milestone School and College at Uttara in the capital reached 35 as two more victims succumbed to their burn injuries on Saturday.

On the day, six students were released from three hospitals.

As of Saturday evening, 46 people, injured in the jet crash, were undergoing treatment in seven hospitals in the city with four of them in critical condition, said health and family welfare ministry officials.

No one among the casualties now remains unidentified or missing since the identities of five charred bodies were ascertained by the forensic DNA laboratory of the Criminal Investigation Department on Thursday.

On Saturday, along with the local physicians, the foreign physicians who have flown in to Bangladesh to give treatment to the crash victims also oversaw the treatment process.

Milestone authorities said that their campus would remain closed at least till tomorrow.

On Saturday, Zarif Farhan, 13, a Class VII student of the school, died at 9:10am, and Masuma Behum, 32, a school attendant, succumbed to her injuries at 10:15am at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, according to the health and family welfare ministry.

Zarif received 40 per cent burns and Masuma 90 per cent on their bodies, officials said.

According to Milestone authorities, 26 are schoolchildren, three guardians, two schoolteachers, and one school attendant among the 32 deceased.

The educational institution’s public relations officer Shah Bulbul said that they had slightly revised the number of deceased guardians by reducing the number from four to three.

‘Earlier we counted a same deceased mother Rajoni Islam twice for her two children, who study in the school,’ he said and mentioned that all 32 bodies were handed over to the families.

On July 21, the pilot was killed in the crash.

On Saturday till 4:00pm, the health and family welfare ministry shared updates about the deceased and injured victims, as per which 35 were killed in the crash and 48 were undergoing treatment in four hospitals.

Earlier, following the crash, seven charred bodies remained unidentified at the Combined Military Hospital Dhaka till July 23.

Members of the CID DNA lab collected a total of 11 DNA samples from the unidentified bodies and body parts on July 22 and then identities of five bodies were confirmed on July 24 through DNA tests.

The five bodies included three of missing students and two of missing guardians.

Burn institute director Professor Mohammad Nasir Uddin at a press briefing on Saturday around 2:30pm said that two more died in the institute on the day.

Out of the 36 patients undergoing treatment at the institute four were in critical condition and nine in severe condition.

Among the four critical patients in the intensive care unit, one is on ventilation support, he mentioned.

Professor Nasir said that they were hoping to discharge another 10 injured by the next week.

The institute’s resident surgeon (emergency), Shawon Bin Rahman, confirmed at about 5:00pm on Saturday that two students Ayan Khan, 12, and Rafsi Akter Rafia, 12, were discharged from institute and went to their homes.

According to an official statement of the Milestone authorities, published on its Facebook page, on Saturday three students were discharged from Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital and one from Lubana General Hospital and Cardiac Centre.

Milestone public relations officer Shah Bulbul said that the statement was about the institution’s affected students, teachers, guardians, and staff only.

The same day, three more were admitted to Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital, two to the Combined Military Hospital and one to Ship International Hospital, the statement read.

Shah Bulbul also said that Milestone would be closed till Monday and a decision would be taken soon if the institution would open on Tuesday.​

 

[Saif]

Govt forms probe commissioin over Uttara jet crash

The government has formed a nine-member commission to investigate the 21 July crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara. The commission has been asked to submit its report within four weeks, according to a Cabinet Division notification i

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Govt forms probe commissioin over Uttara jet crash

FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
Jul 28, 2025 00:47
Updated :
Jul 28, 2025 00:52

The government has formed a nine-member commission to investigate the 21 July crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara.

The commission has been asked to submit its report within four weeks, according to a Cabinet Division notification issued Sunday night.

Former secretary AKM Zafar Ullah Khan will lead the commission. Other members include a retired air vice marshal, senior officials from three ministries, Dhaka’s divisional commissioner, two academics, and a lawyer.

The body will examine the cause of the crash, assess damage and casualties, determine accountability, and identify related issues.

It will also review legal and administrative aspects of constructions near flight zones and recommend steps to prevent similar incidents.

The commission has authority to summon witnesses, visit relevant sites, and conduct the investigation under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1956.

The Dhaka divisional commissioner’s office will provide secretarial support.​

 

[Saif]

Health Ministry revises death toll from Milestone jet crash to 33

The Health Ministry on Sunday revised the death toll from the tragic military aircraft crash into Milestone School and College in Uttara to 33. According to the Health Ministry report as of 4 pm on Sunday, a total of 33 people have died in the Milestone tragedy while 46 others are still being trea

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Health Ministry revises death toll from Milestone jet crash to 33

UNB
Published :
Jul 27, 2025 20:31
Updated :
Jul 27, 2025 20:31

The Health Ministry on Sunday revised the death toll from the tragic military aircraft crash into Milestone School and College in Uttara to 33.

According to the Health Ministry report as of 4 pm on Sunday, a total of 33 people have died in the Milestone tragedy while 46 others are still being treated at various hospitals in Dhaka.

It also shared the hospital-wise list of casualties this morning.

National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery: 34 injured, 17 dead

Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka: eleven injured, 14 dead

Dhaka Medical College and Hospital: one dead

United Hospital: one dead

National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital: one injured

It also said that one died at the Lubana General Hospital and Cardiac Centre and United Hospital was the same person.

Earlier in the day, the Health Ministry issued another data around 10 am, confirming the death toll from the tragic military aircraft crash to 34.

The ministry revealed the information around saying the death toll from the tragic incident drop to 34 from 35 following DNA test report from Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka.

The CMH in Dhaka has clarified the reason behind the adjustment of the reported number of deceased individuals by one.

According to CMH authorities, on July 21, 2025, the CMH mortuary received a total of 15 body bags. Among them, Turag Police initially conducted the autopsy report of 11 complete bodies, 2 partially intact bodies and body parts from five individuals.

Out of the 11 complete bodies, nine were identified by families. On the day of the incident, July 21, 2025, Turag Police handed over 8 bodies to their respective families and another body was handed over on July 22.

Forensic samples were collected from the remaining 2 unidentified bodies, the two partially intact bodies and the body parts of five individuals by the CID forensic team on July 22 for DNA testing.

Based on the results, CID was able to identify the remains of five individuals.

On the night of July 24, Turag Police handed over the identified bodies and body parts to the respective families.

This process led to a revised total of identified deceased, resulting in a reduction in the overall reported death toll by one.

A fatal crash occurred on Monday afternoon (July 21), shortly after an FT-7 BGI fighter jet took off from the Kurmitola Airbase, sparking a massive blaze that claimed multiple lives, most of them children.​

 

[Saif]

Yunus thanks foreign medical teams for treating Milestone crash victims

A delegation of 21 physicians and nurses from Singapore, China, and India met Yunus at Jamuna

www.thedailystar.net

Yunus thanks foreign medical teams for treating Milestone crash victims
A delegation of 21 physicians and nurses from Singapore, China, and India met Yunus at Jamuna

Photo: CA's press wing

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the rapid response and medical support extended by the foreign healthcare professionals in the treatment of the injured in the fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara.

A delegation of 21 physicians and nurses from Singapore, China, and India met with Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna.

The international medical teams are visiting Bangladesh to provide specialised healthcare services to victims of the recent jet crash at Milestone College.

He commended their dedication and solidarity at a time of national crisis and emphasised the importance of international cooperation in emergency healthcare.

"These teams have come not just with their skills, but with their hearts," said Yunus.

"Their presence reaffirms our shared humanity and the value of global partnerships in times of tragedy," he added.

The medical teams have been working tirelessly alongside local healthcare professionals to ensure critical treatment and trauma care for the injured, many of whom are young children.

The CA also acknowledged the swift diplomatic coordination that enabled the teams to arrive and begin their work without delay.

He assured the visiting professionals of the government's full support in facilitating their mission.

Yunus also urged the physicians to maintain long-term connections with Bangladesh, even virtually, for institutional collaboration, medical education exchange, and sustained engagement in capacity building and innovation in the healthcare sector.

He emphasised that such partnerships could lay the foundation for lasting cooperation in public health and emergency preparedness.

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum thanked the physicians and nurses for extending their hand during this difficult time.

Professor Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Health, said that many lives were saved as the medical teams rushed to Bangladesh immediately.

At the meeting, Prof Md Nasir Uddin, director at National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said it was proven yet again that doctors are without borders.

Ten members from Singapore, eight from China, and four from India were present in the meeting.

Among others, Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Yao Wen and Singapore head of mission in Dhaka were also present at the meeting.​

 

[Saif]

Chinese experts to help investigate Bangladesh Air Force jet crash

An expert team from China is likely to arrive in Dhaka to assist in the investigation into the recent place crash to identify the main reason of the accident.

www.newagebd.net

Chinese experts to help investigate Bangladesh Air Force jet crash
Another victim dies
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka 29 July, 2025, 00:53

A physician enquires about mental and physical health of two children at a temporary medical camp, set up at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Diabari area to provide long-term support to jet crash victims and their families, on Monday. | Md Saurav

An expert team from China is likely to arrive in Dhaka to assist in the investigation into the recent place crash to identify the main reason of the accident.

Air Commodore Md Mizanur Rahman, chief coordinator of the air force emergency coordination centre, said this at a press briefing, organised by the Aviation and Aerospace University Bangladesh in Tejgaon Old Airport area of Dhaka on Monday.

He said that on the day of the incident on July 21, the Bangladesh Air Force participated in the rescue operation and a high-level investigation committee was formed on the same day.

‘An expert team from China is likely to arrive to assist in the investigation. International assistance in the investigation will help find out the root cause of the accident,’ said Mizanur Rahman.

Director of the directorate of air operations Air Commodore Shahidul Islam, associate professor and joint director of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Md Maruful Islam and principal of Milestone School and College’s Diabari campus Captain (retired) Jahangir Alam Khan were present.

New Age staff correspondent adds: the death toll from the July 21 fighter jet crash into a building of Milestone School and College at Uttara in the capital reached 34 as one more victim succumbed to injuries on early Monday.New Age specials

Forty-five people injured in the jet crash were still undergoing treatment at three hospitals in the city, with three of them in critical condition till Monday evening.

Shaheel Faravi Ayan, 14, died at about 1:45am on Monday at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said the institute’s resident surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman.

At the BAF briefing, Mizanur Rahman highlighted the activities and initiatives taken by the Bangladesh Air Force after the plane crash.

He said that the Air Force chief had already answered many questions in a media briefing a day after the crash. ‘Under the guidance of the Air Force chief, the Bangladesh Air Force is carrying out various humanitarian activities with utmost importance to help the victims.’

In order to carry out all these activities in an orderly manner, an emergency support centre was constituted on July 21 under the leadership of an air commodore, Mizanur said.

The emergency support centre is providing treatment to the injured, providing information about their present status, treatment, verifying the identity of the deceased and communicating with the families, coordinating the burial and cremation of the deceased and assisting in sending and collecting blood.

Bangladesh Air Force has given utmost importance to the treatment of the injured, formed two coordination cells at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Combined Military Hospital, which are active round the clock.

On July 22, chief of air staff air chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan visited the NIBPS and the CMH to inquire about the treatment of the injured persons.

On July 23, Bangladesh Air Force held a coordination meeting with a delegation of the Milestone School and College. In that meeting a detailed discussion was held on coordinating all activities after the accident.

The meeting dispelled the misunderstanding about the actual number of casualties of the accident with the help of the school authorities.

To show respect to the deceased and sympathy to the bereaved families, the air force chief visited the graveyards and placed wreaths, showed military honours and offered special prayers.

He also paid tribute to the graveyards of respected teachers Mehreen Chowdhury and Mashuka Begum and paid military honours to them as they have set a shining example of humanity, bravery, and responsibility.

In the same vein, wreaths and honours have been laid at the graveyards of 17 deceased people so far. The air chief met the families of the victims and the deceased and expressed his condolences and profound sympathy.

The press briefing stated that the Air Force would always stand by those killed and injured in the tragic accident and provide all possible assistance.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Dhaka crash exposes Bangladesh’s excessive dependence on outdated Chinese defence equipment: Report - Indian Defence Research Wing

SOURCE: IANS Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has been severely criticised over their “blind reliance” on Chinese-made defence equipment following the tragic Bangladesh Air Force jet crash that has till Saturday claimed 35 lives, mostly children. According to the...

idrw.org

 

[Saif]

How did a Bangladesh air force fighter jet crash into a school campus

The fighter aircraft took off from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after.

en.prothomalo.com

How did a Bangladesh air force fighter jet crash into a school campus
Reuters New Delhi
Updated: 22 Jul 2025, 19: 28

Firefighters work to remove the wreckage from a building, after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 21 July 2025. Reuters

At least 25 children were among the 27 people killed when a Bangladesh Air Force plane crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka on Monday.

Here is a look at what happened.

How did the crash occur?

The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after.

The pilot attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties and damage, but his efforts were unsuccessful and the jet crashed into a building.

Where did the plane go down?

The two-storey building that the plane rammed into belonged to the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Diabari area, located about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the air force base.

Visuals from the scene showed the mangled remains of the aircraft dented into the side of the building, dismantling its iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure.

How many people were killed?

The bodies of at least 27 people, including 25 children, a teacher, and the jet's pilot, were pulled out from the debris.

More than 100 children and 15 other people were also injured, of whom 78 are still admitted in hospitals with burn injuries.

Which aircraft was involved in the incident?

The jet was an F-7 fighter aircraft - the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group.

Bangladesh had signed a contract in 2011 for 16 such planes, and deliveries were completed by 2013.

How have authorities reacted?

The Bangladesh Air Force has formed a high-level investigation committee to probe the cause of the accident.

Muhammad Yunus, the head of the country's interim government, has also vowed to "take all necessary measures" to investigate its cause.

In the meantime, the government says it is providing "all kinds of assistance" to those affected.​

 

[Saif]

How Tejgaon’s silent runway is choking Dhaka’s future

Since 2011, the CAAB has identified at least 525 illegal high-rises encroaching on approach paths at HSIA and the old Tejgaon Airport runway.

www.thedailystar.net

How Tejgaon’s silent runway is choking Dhaka’s future

Relocating training operations to purpose-built facilities beyond Dhaka would be an advance towards a capital worthy of our aspirations. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

The acrid smoke has cleared from the Milestone School atrocity, leaving behind thirty-five coffins and a city's collective conscience forever scarred. As we scrub soot from classroom walls and bloodstains from textbooks, a fundamental question hangs heavy in our polluted air: why must children learn beneath the shadow of ageing fighter jets in a megacity of 2.3 crore souls? The answer lies partially in Tejgaon—a 300-acre paradox in Dhaka's heart where an "active" airport stands frozen in time, its silent runway strangling our city's future while mocking our collective wisdom.

This ghost airport haunts our children with institutional paralysis. Born as a British World War II airstrip in 1941, Tejgaon served as Bangladesh's primary international airport until 1981, when operations shifted to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Since then, it has existed as "BAF Base Bashar," a military facility with zero commercial flights. Yet, in 2011, the CAAB and relevant authorities quietly re-designated it as a "domestic airport," defying international aviation standards while enabling real obstruction. This dormant status blocked a critical metro rail route along Bijoy Sarani, forcing costly realignment near parliament, a telling metaphor for how phantom airfields derail progress.

While Tejgaon's runway gathers dust, Dhaka's skies grow more lethal. Since 2011, the CAAB has identified at least 525 illegal high-rises encroaching on approach paths at HSIA and the old Tejgaon Airport runway, violations reported to RAJUK for over a decade without a single demolition. This regulatory surrender has transformed our airspace into a game of Russian roulette. Aviation safety data confirms that at least 80 percent of accidents occur within the first three minutes of takeoff or in the last eight minutes before landing, where clearance margins are sacred. The Milestone crash, while officially attributed to pilot error (pending investigation), unfolded in a cityscape where illegal construction systematically eroded safety buffers. When ageing aircraft and vertical sprawl collide above schools, tragedy isn't accidental; it's engineered by neglect.

Consider the cruel arithmetic of our urban crisis: according to a 2018 media report, Dhaka just had 0.7 acres of open place for every 1000 residents. This is a mere fraction of the green space recommended by the World Health Organization, which is nine square metre per person, approximately 2.2 acres for every 1000 residents. Around 84 percent residents of the capital's city corporation area have no access to playground facilities, while citizens breathe air laced with particulate matter at over 15 times the WHO safety limits. Against this suffocating reality, Tejgaon's 300 acres represent a life-saving transfusion. Converted into public commons—not commercial real estate—it could absorb tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, provide play space for half a million children, and create a vital green corridor in our concrete heart.

Global cities have shown the way forward. Hong Kong closed its iconic Kai Tak Airport in 1998, replacing it with Chek Lap Kok 34km away—the former runway now blooms with community gardens. Istanbul relocated from Atatürk Airport to a safer facility 40km outside the city in 2019, freeing 1,500 hectares for urban renewal. Osaka built Kansai Airport offshore in 1994, eliminating urban overflights entirely. Yet, Dhaka tolerates the surreal spectacle of fighter jets practising manoeuvres over Gulshan while planners whisper about distant "aerotropolises." This isn't urban planning; it's institutional surrender disguised as strategy.

While we recognise Tejgaon's symbolic heritage, we must remember that true strength lies in adaptive leadership. The Bangladesh Armed Forces embody the strategic foresight our city desperately needs—the very logic that would never permit an active airfield in a dense urban centre. Relocating training operations to purpose-built facilities beyond Dhaka wouldn't be retreat; it would be an advance towards a capital worthy of our aspirations.

Besides, the Milestone children weren't martyrs to progress; they were casualties of inertia. Every day, Tejgaon remains unfollowed, costing Dhaka $8.7 million in lost economic opportunity while denying generations clean air and play space. We've mastered disaster response, the floral tributes, and compensation cheques, but failed at prevention. True honour lies in sparing future classrooms from becoming crash sites.

Imagine dew glistening on wild grasses where tarmac once baked. Grandparents practising tai chi beneath canopies of neem and kadam. Teenagers playing cricket where fighter jets idled. Children sketching clouds unobscured by exhaust. This vision isn't utopian; it's achievable if we trade complacency for courage.

The Milestone children won't play in this park. But we owe them this legacy—a city where classrooms aren't crash zones, where the only shadows over schools come from clouds, not ageing jets; where our planning finally looks upward, not in fear, but in hope. Three hundred acres of redemption await beneath the silent runway. All we need is the will to breathe.

Zakir Kibria is a Bangladeshi writer, policy analyst and entrepreneur based in Kathmandu.​