NewzVille International
At least 22 people, school children, were killed and 169 people were injured, when a Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed in Dhaka’s Uttara area on 22 July 2025. The F-7 BGI aircraft of Bangladesh Air force took off for a training flight at 1:06 pm and crashed shortly after into Milestone School and College campus in the Uttara area of Dhaka, according Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Bangladesh.
The horrific accident has raised urgent questions as to operating an air force base inside one of the most densely populated cities in the world. For many Dhaka residents, the shock of the incident has renewed fears that have long gone unaddressed.
Abdullah Faruque, a former Biman Bangladesh captain with decades of flying experience, publicly voiced his concern over the proximity of military flight operations to commercial and civilian zones, reports the Business
Standard, a leading daily of Bangladesh. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed after it took off from BAF Base Bir Uttom AK Khandker at Kurmitola. Soon after, the fighter jet faced a “technical malfunction” and went down. The air base regularly hosts military aircraft, including high-speed jets used for training exercises.
In a city already facing intense air traffic, the intersection of civil and military aviation has been a point of contention among pilots and aviation professionals for years, writes the Business Standard.
In a heartfelt reaction, Novoair Managing Director and General Secretary of the Aviation Operators Association of Bangladesh, Mofizur Rahman, called for an urgent reassessment of military flight operations over populated areas.
Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi visited the injured at Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital yesterday and voiced deep concerns, questioning how a BAF training aircraft was allowed to operate over such a densely populated area. “This is a densely populated area. Operating a training flight to learn to fly in such places seems mysterious to me,” he said.
Authorities on Monday evening called off the operation to rescue the injured and recover the bodies of the dead following the incident. The mission was reportedly wrapped up at 7.30pm.
In the mishap, the nose of the plane pierced the staircase of the school building while the two wings tore through the classrooms on either side of the stairs. The two classrooms were reportedly packed with first-graders.
