Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crash Death Toll Rises Amid Protests and Calls for Accountability.

A Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a school in the capital, killing dozens of students. Hundreds protested demanding accountability, compensation, and a halt to training flights. The investigation continues.

A Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a school in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday, July 22, 2025, resulting in the deaths of 31 people, including 25 students, a teacher, and the pilot. The incident has sparked widespread protests and demands for accountability, compensation, and a halt to training flights.

The crash occurred at the Milestone School and College, located in the densely populated Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka. The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a "technical malfunction" moments after takeoff from the A.K. Khandaker air force base at 1:06 p.m., according to a statement from the military [1]. The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made efforts to divert the aircraft away from populated areas, but the jet crashed into the school building.

The incident caused a fire that gutted the two-story school building. Officials reported that 171 people were rescued and taken from the scene in helicopters, ambulances, motorized rickshaws, and in the arms of firefighters and parents [1]. The death toll rose to 31 on Tuesday, with 78 people remaining hospitalized, mostly students [2].

Hundreds of students protested near the crash site, demanding accurate publication of the identities of the dead and injured, compensation for their families, and an immediate halt to the use of "outdated and unsafe" training aircraft by the Bangladesh air force [1, 2]. The students accused security officials of beating them and manhandling teachers on Monday and became furious after two senior government advisers arrived at the scene, forcing them to take cover for six hours [1].

The Bangladesh government declared Tuesday a day of national mourning, with the national flag flying at half-staff across the country. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, with the military conducting the probe [1, 2].

The incident is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. In 2008, another F-7 training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot, who had ejected after discovering a technical problem [1, 2].

References:
[1] https://www.ksat.com/news/world/2025/07/22/bangladesh-mourns-31-dead-in-jet-crash-as-students-protest-to-demand-accountability/
[2] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-07-22/bangladesh-mourns-31-dead-in-jet-crash-as-students-protest-to-demand-accountability