Students in Bangladesh protest after air force jet crashes into school, killing 32
After the Bangladesh military's F-7 jet crashed into Milestone School in the suburb of Uttara on Monday, the national capital traffic was shut down in several parts amid the ongoing unrest. Dhaka is still recovering from a student uprising last year that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and brought in an interim government, which seeks to restore order and hold elections in 2026.
Some students, while protesting and demanding proper compensation and accountability, entered Bangladesh's administrative headquarters but were later dispersed with tear gas and stun grenades.
The death toll from the crash rose to 32 on Wednesday, which includes 29 students, two teachers and the pilot who was on his first solo flight. Officials informed that about 171 people, mostly students at Milestone School and College, were injured as the jet crashed into a two-storey building. Injured people were rescued by the emergency responders and most of them had burn injuries.
Bangladesh military has launched an investigation into the crash that took place after the F-7 jet faced mechanical issues after taking off for a training exercise just after 1pm local time on Monday. The military, in a statement, said that pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, tried to navigate the aircraft to a less populated area after it faced mechanical fault.
The demands of protesting students include 'accurate' publication of identities of the dead and injured, compensation to families of the victims, a pause in use of 'outdated and unsafe' training aircraft by the Bangladesh air force with immediate effect. The students further accused officials of beating them and manhandling teachers.
A former student of the school said, 'The exact number of people killed and injured must be made public,' Associated Press reported. A local media outlet Jamuna TV reported that about 80 students were injured after security personnel charged them with batons.
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