DHAKA– Widespread protests and scenes of unrest gripped Dhaka on Tuesday, particularly around the Milestone School and College campus, following Monday’s tragic plane crash that has claimed the lives of at least 31 people and injured more than 160 others.
The protests intensified at both the crash site and outside the Secretariat building, with angry students demanding the immediate resignation of the interim government’s Education Advisor and Education Secretary. The interim government is currently headed by Muhammad Yunus.
Tensions boiled over when Yunus’s Law and Education Advisors, along with his Press Secretary, visited the school for an on-site inspection. The officials were met with fierce backlash from students, who accused the government of providing misleading information about the crash and its aftermath. Protesters called for transparency, including an accurate list of the deceased and injured, and details on compensation for the victims’ families.
According to The Daily Star, a leading Bangladeshi newspaper, students also demanded an immediate end to the use of outdated and unsafe training aircraft by the Bangladesh Air Force, which they blame for the disaster.
The visiting officials — Law Advisor Asif Nazrul, Education Advisor C.R. Abrar, and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam — were forced to take shelter inside a room on campus after being confronted by the protesters. Students insisted the advisors take full accountability and respond to their list of demands. They also alleged that some teachers and guardians were assaulted during the chaos Monday night.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus addressed the situation, pledging that the students’ demands would be reviewed and addressed.
“An information center has been established at Milestone School. It contains updated details about the deceased, injured, and anyone reported missing. Compensation, rehabilitation, and trauma support services are being arranged for the families of the victims,” Yunus said in a post on X.
He further stated that allegations of misconduct by army personnel would be investigated and the appropriate military authorities notified.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time on Monday when a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet, which had taken off at 1:06 p.m., plummeted into the school building in the Uttara area of Dhaka. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), most of the victims were students. (Source: IANS)
