|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On 21 July 2025, a Bangladesh Air Force FT-7 BGI training jet crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood, killing 31 people, including 25 children, and injuring 165 others, according to military and health officials.
🔍 Incident Overview
- The jet took off from BAF Base Kurmitola at 1:06 p.m. local time on a routine training flight.
- Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction and attempted to divert from populated areas.
- It crashed into the school’s Haider Ali Building, triggering a fire and widespread destruction.
- The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Toukir Islam, was on his first solo flight and died from injuries sustained during a failed ejection attempt.
🏥 Casualties and Medical Response
- Victims were primarily students aged 8 to 14, with many suffering severe burn injuries.
- 78 people remain hospitalized, with 10 in critical condition.
- A teacher who rescued over 20 students later died from burn injuries.
- Emergency services deployed nine fire units, six ambulances, and Border Guard platoons to assist in rescue operations.
🗣️ National and International Reaction
- Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus declared a national day of mourning and pledged a full investigation.
- International condolences were extended by leaders from India, Japan, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, among others.
- The Bangladesh Air Force has formed a high-level committee to investigate the crash and review training protocols.
⚠️ Public Outcry and Protests
- Students and families staged protests demanding:
- A full list of victims
- Compensation for affected families
- Retirement of outdated aircraft
- Reforms to air force training procedures
- Police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, resulting in additional injuries.
✈️ Aircraft Background
- The FT-7 BGI is a Chinese-made trainer variant of the J-7, based on the Soviet MiG-21.
- Bangladesh acquired 16 units between 2012 and 2013, despite a history of mechanical failures and crashes.
This tragedy marks Dhaka’s deadliest aviation accident in recent memory, prompting renewed scrutiny of military flight operations over densely populated areas. Let me know if you’d like this adapted into a crisis response memo or aviation safety briefing.
Mikoyan MiG-29 Bangladesh Air Force by Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon
