Students took to the streets in Bangladesh’s capital on Tuesday, demanding accountability and compensation after an air force jet slammed into a school, killing at least 31 people, most of them children.
Police fired tear gas, sound grenades, and batons to disperse hundreds of angry protesters who gathered near the crash site and the federal government secretariat in Dhaka. Dozens of students were injured, according to witnesses. Deputy Commissioner Talebur Rahman of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the use of tear gas was necessary to restore order but did not give casualty figures.
The deadly crash occurred Monday when a Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet, on a routine training mission, developed a mechanical fault and crashed into Milestone School in the city’s Uttara neighborhood just as classes ended for the day. At least 25 of the dead were children under 12. The pilot, who reportedly tried to steer away from crowded areas, was also killed.
By Tuesday, the military confirmed 31 deaths and said 165 people were hospitalized, with 10 in critical condition. Rescue workers continued to comb through the charred remains of the school buildings as grief-stricken parents and residents watched on.
Protesters, many of them students from Milestone School and nearby colleges, disrupted visits by government officials to the site and later stormed the gates of the secretariat, calling for the resignation of the education adviser. “Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!” they chanted.
Among their demands were the release of a full list of the dead and injured, compensation for victims’ families, decommissioning of what they called outdated and unsafe jets, and a review of air force training practices near populated areas.
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, announced a day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and special prayers at mosques, temples, and churches. A statement from Yunus’ office promised a published list of victims and said the air force would be ordered to stop operating training flights over residential areas.
Pope Leo, in a message from the Vatican, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, praying for the victims’ families and for the recovery of the injured.
The F-7 BGI, a modernized variant of China’s version of the Soviet MiG-21, was delivered to Bangladesh’s air force between 2011 and 2013. Critics have long raised concerns over the aircraft’s reliability.
The crash comes amid heightened political tension in Bangladesh, where the interim administration has promised elections next year after months of unrest forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country last August following student-led protests.
For now, the tragedy has added to the mounting pressure on Yunus’ government to act decisively and address public anger over safety and accountability.