By Ephraim Agbo
The sound came from the sky — loud, low, unnatural. Then flames. Screams. Silence.
What should have been a regular school day at Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka, turned into an unspeakable tragedy on July 21, when a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI fighter jet plummeted from the sky and crashed directly into the campus.
🎓 The Innocence That Was Stolen
By the time the fire was put out and the screams faded, 19 lives were lost — including school children, teachers, and the jet’s pilot. Over 100 others were rushed to hospitals across Dhaka, many of them with severe burns that will mark their bodies and memories forever.
Parents dropped off their children that morning with backpacks and lunchboxes, never imagining they’d return to shattered buildings, body bags, and burnt textbooks. A father, trembling outside the gate, whispered: "I told him to study hard. Now I don’t even know if he has a face left to recognize."
🔥 A Sky That Rained Fire
The F-7 BGI jet, a Chinese-made aircraft used for pilot training, took off from Dhaka Air Base at 1:06 PM. Mere minutes later, technical failure sent the aircraft spiraling out of control — slicing through the air before crashing straight into the school’s main academic block.
Eyewitnesses describe an inferno. Glass exploded. Steel bent. Desks were reduced to ashes. Emergency services arrived swiftly, but the scale of the destruction overwhelmed everyone.
💬 National Grief and Growing Questions
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called it “a black day for Bangladesh.” On social media, hashtags like #DhakaJetCrash and #PrayForUttara trends as the country united in grief and disbelief.
But anger soon followed. Many are asking:
- Why was a high-speed military aircraft flying near a densely populated school zone?
- What safety protocols failed?
- Could this have been prevented?
Officials from the Bangladesh Air Force promised a full investigation, but for grieving families, answers will never fill the void.
🕊️ Children of a Nation, Gone Too Soon
The image that broke the nation: a charred school diary found in the rubble. The page read:
"Monday: Science test, 1 PM."
They never made it.
Some of the victims had just turned 13. Others were gearing up for their final exams. A beloved science teacher who had taught there for 17 years perished while trying to lead students to safety.
One mother at Dhaka Medical Hospital said:
"He wanted to be a pilot. He used to draw airplanes in his books. Now, a plane killed him."
✊ A Nation's Resolve
As the country mourns, there is also resilience. Blood donation drives are underway. Survivors are receiving psychological counseling. The government has pledged to rebuild the school — but how do you rebuild broken hearts?
Dhaka will move on. But Uttara will never forget.
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