A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka on Monday afternoon, resulting in at least 20 fatalities and injuring over 170 people. This incident marks the deadliest aviation disaster in Bangladesh in recent memory. The Chinese-manufactured F-7BGI aircraft collided with the Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighborhood shortly after takeoff.
The jet took off at 1:06 p.m. local time on July 21, 2025, from a military base in the capital for a routine training mission. Military officials reported that the aircraft encountered a mechanical failure shortly after becoming airborne and crashed within minutes into the school’s two-story structure, igniting a fire and causing a substantial explosion.
The fatalities included the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam. Military sources indicated that he made efforts to direct the aircraft away from densely populated areas following the mechanical issue.
Milestone School and College accommodates around 2,000 students, ranging from elementary to 12th grade, ages four to 18. The crash occurred as afternoon classes were ending, with many younger students outside. The jet reportedly hit a five-story academic building before landing on a smaller two-story structure on the campus.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos. Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, said, “I only saw fire and smoke.” He reported hearing an explosion and seeing large flames in the area where students and guardians were present.
Emergency responders used various means, including tricycle rickshaws, to transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Over 50 individuals, including children and adults, were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with burn injuries. Hospital officials noted that at least 83 survivors, mainly students, were receiving treatment in hospitals in the capital, with some in critical condition.
The crash site exhibited extensive damage, with footage showing a large fire near the school lawn and thick smoke rising into the air. Emergency personnel searched through charred debris while attempting to locate survivors, as crowds gathered on nearby buildings to watch the rescue efforts.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow over the event and promised a thorough investigation. He stated that all necessary measures would be taken to determine the cause and provide assistance to those affected. Yunus directed all relevant authorities, including hospitals, to prioritize the situation and called the incident a moment of significant national distress.
The government declared a national day of mourning for Tuesday, July 22, during which the national flag was flown at half-mast at all government buildings, educational institutions, and Bangladeshi missions abroad. Special prayers were conducted at places of worship across the country to honor the victims.
The Bangladesh Air Force has established a high-level investigation committee to determine the exact cause of the mechanical failure that led to the crash. The Uttara neighborhood where the incident occurred is a densely populated area of northern Dhaka, a city with over 20 million residents.
This incident represents the most severe aviation disaster involving civilian casualties in Bangladesh in recent decades. Over the past 20 years, the country has experienced multiple plane crashes involving military and civilian training flights, with at least 15 previous fatalities, though none were as extensive as Monday’s tragedy. Most earlier incidents involved only military flight crew members.
The deadliest previous aviation accident in Bangladesh occurred in 1984 when a passenger plane flying from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, resulting in the deaths of all 49 people on board. However, that incident did not involve casualties on the ground at a civilian facility like the school crash on Monday.
Emergency response efforts continued throughout Monday evening as rescue teams worked to ensure all victims were located and survivors received necessary medical care. The investigation into the mechanical failure that caused the crash is expected to take several weeks, as authorities review the aircraft’s maintenance records and flight data.
