"Uttara Disaster: Bangladesh Fighter Jet Crash Leaves Trail of Death and Fire"

Full Report: Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crash in Dhaka (Uttara), July 21, 2025

📍 Overview

Date: July 21, 2025
Time: Around 1:06 PM local time (BST)
Location: Milestone School and College, Sector 11, Uttara, Dhaka
Aircraft: F-7 BGI (Chinese-made fighter/trainer jet)
Operator: Bangladesh Air Force (BAF)
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant Toukir Islam
Mission Type: Solo training flight

🛠️ What Happened?

The F-7 BGI aircraft took off from BAF Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker for a routine solo training mission.
Shortly after takeoff, it experienced a sudden technical malfunction, possibly engine or control failure.
The pilot tried to steer the aircraft away from populated areas and aimed for an open ground, but at low altitude, he could not eject safely.
The jet crashed into Milestone School and College, hitting its main gate and breaking through a classroom block.

🔥 Immediate Impact

A huge explosion and fire followed the crash.
Parts of the building collapsed, and several classrooms were destroyed.
School was in session, with hundreds of students on campus.
Several students and staff were caught in the flames or under rubble.

🚑 Casualties & Injuries

Description	Count
Confirmed deaths	At least 19 (including the pilot and students)
Injured	Over 160 people (many with severe burns)
Children affected	Majority of casualties were schoolchildren
Rescue teams	Fire service, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and ambulances responded quickly

Many victims were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

🗣️ Government & Public Reaction

Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow, calling it a “national tragedy.”
National Mourning Day was declared on July 22, 2025.
The Air Force and Civil Aviation Authority launched an official investigation into the crash.
Grief-stricken families gathered at hospitals and the crash site.

🕵️ Possible Causes (Under Investigation)

Technical failure (suspected in the engine or hydraulic systems)
Low altitude — pilot couldn’t safely eject
No indication of sabotage or attack so far
Full black box analysis is pending

🏫 Damage to School

3 classrooms completely destroyed
Electricity and gas lines damaged
Hundreds of students evacuated
School declared closed indefinitely

📷 Eyewitness Accounts

"We heard a loud boom and saw fire in the air," said a local resident.
Parents rushed to the scene as video footage showed flames and smoke rising from the school compound.
Some students jumped from windows to escape the blaze.
Residents helped pull victims out before emergency services arrived.

📊 Crash Summary Table

Category	Details
Aircraft	F-7 BGI (trainer jet)
Pilot	Flight Lt. Toukir Islam (deceased)
Crash Site	Milestone School, Uttara
Death Toll	At least 19 (likely to rise)
Injuries	160+ (many critical)
Main Cause	Suspected mechanical failure
Government Action	Mourning declared, investigation begun

📰 Why This Crash Matters

This is one of the deadliest military aircraft crashes in Bangladesh’s history, especially devastating because it struck a civilian educational institution during school hours. The fact that children are among the victims has sparked nationwide grief and calls for stronger safety protocols near urban airbases.