This week marks one year since a military training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 36 people, the majority of them children. Families of the victims are now demanding accountability and the public release of an investigation report that has yet to be made public.
On July 21, 2025, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft took off from a base in Dhaka and crashed shortly after in the Uttara neighborhood, striking Milestone School. Emergency services immediately responded, sifting through charred debris in a desperate search for survivors. Scores of students and staff were among the fatalities.
Authorities formed an investigation commission following the crash. However, in the days after the disaster, hundreds of students protested in the streets, clashing with police as they called for accountability and changes to regulations regarding training flights.
Investigation Findings
According to a copy of the full investigative report obtained by BBC Bengali, the commission highlighted that Milestone School had not complied with building codes. The report also identified over 600 buildings, including schools and hospitals, near Dhaka's international airport that had violated height restrictions.
Further findings indicated that the pilot lacked sufficient flight training and proper ground supervision. The report concluded that there was no technical fault with the aircraft, contradicting an early statement from the Bangladeshi Armed Forces that cited a mechanical issue. The Bangladesh Armed Forces did not respond to requests for comment.
Lingering Demands
Mansur Helal, the husband of schoolteacher Mahreen Chowdhury, who died in hospital from severe burns sustained while rescuing students, spoke at a memorial. "No one can give a guarantee that another plane will not fall onto this school in the future," he stated, referencing a recent BBC documentary that discussed the committee's report. "This is truly a horrific situation. Every day around 2,500-3,000 students go to that school."
Helal, along with other victims' families, is urging the government to release the full investigative report. They are also calling for improved government support for survivors undergoing medical treatment and for compensation to be provided to them and the families of those who died. These measures were reportedly recommended in the investigative committee's report but have not yet been implemented.