Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crashes Into Dhaka School: At Least 18 Dead, Over 100 Injured

A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday afternoon, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100 others, according to the military. Local reports, however, suggest the death toll could be at least 19.

The incident occurred around 1:30 pm local time when a Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter aircraft plummeted into the school’s ground floor, where primary-level classes were in session.

“The jet crashed right in front of my eyes, just 10 feet ahead of me,” said Fahim Hossain, an eleventh-grade student who witnessed the horrific crash. “It struck the ground floor of a two-storey building at around 1:15 pm, where the younger students were attending class.”

The impact caused massive destruction, particularly on the ground level. Rasel Mia, an Air Force staff member who arrived soon after, said the scene inside was “beyond description.”

Another student, Ariful Islam, a first-year HSC student, recalled watching the tragedy unfold from the seventh floor. “I saw the jet slam into the first floor of the adjacent building. There was a massive explosion and fire, and then screams. We rushed to evacuate,” he told The Daily Star.

Rafiqa Taha, a 16-year-old student who wasn’t on campus at the time, said, “I was terrified watching the videos on TV. My God, it is my school.”

Milestone School and College caters to approximately 2,000 students from elementary to twelfth grade.

In a post on X, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Yunus expressed his “deep grief and sorrow” over the tragedy, calling the loss “irreparable” for the Air Force, the school, and the affected families.

As rescue operations continued, multiple ambulances were seen moving in and out of the premises. Outside, anxious parents and guardians waited for updates.

“I have spoken to my son over the phone, but I still haven’t seen him,” said one worried father standing near the college gate.

Many students who escaped the scene appeared visibly traumatized, with shock and fear etched across their faces.