Milestone tragedy: One year on, compensation remains in limbo

A year after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into Milestone School and College building in Dhaka’s Uttara, compensation for the families of those killed and injured remains unresolved.

Parents say the government’s proposed financial assistance is “inadequate”, arguing that the medical expenses of many injured students have already run to several times the amount offered.

With no fresh initiative from the government, affected families say they continue to live with grief, uncertainty, and frustration.

Around 1:15pm on Jul 21, 2025, an F-7 BGI fighter jet of the Air Force crashed onto the Milestone School and College campus in Diabari.

The aircraft burst into flames on impact, engulfing classrooms and leaving behind one of the country’s worst school tragedies.

At least 36 people, most of them children, were killed, while more than 100 others were injured. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam, also died. Official figures later put the death toll at 35 and the number of injured at 64.

The aftermath of the Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara on Jul 21, 2025.

The aftermath of the Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara on Jul 21, 2025.

A day after the crash, Supreme Court lawyer Anisur Rahman Raihan filed a public interest petition seeking a judicial inquiry and compensation for victims.
The High Court ordered the formation of an expert committee to investigate the crash and issued a rule asking why the families of those killed should not receive Tk 50 million each and those injured Tk 10 million each.

Following several meetings, an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the then environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan decided on Dec 2, 2025 to provide Tk 2 million to each bereaved family and Tk 500,000 to each injured student’s family, along with medical assistance.

The proposal was rejected by the affected families, who say the amount neither reflects their losses nor addresses the long-term medical needs of the injured.

Minhaz Rahman, father of seventh-grader Mahtab Rahman, who perished in the crash, said no amount of money could compensate for the loss of a child.
 “Our world, our dreams, our most precious treasure are gone. Can that be valued at Tk 2 million?” he said.

Questioning the Tk 500,000 allocated for injured children, he said many had already spent far more on treatment.

The families have instead urged the government to implement the measures sought in the High Court petition and sought a meeting with the prime minister to present their demands.

Ayesha Akter Kanan, mother of fourth-grader Tasnim Afroze Ayman, said her family also refused the compensation.

“They wanted to settle everything with money after such negligence. But what will I do with money? Even if you gave me the whole world, would my daughter come back?” she said.

Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, father of injured student Abidur Rahim Abid, said none of the affected families accepted the government’s offer.

“The Tk 500,000 may only cover a few days of treatment for some children,” he said, adding that the families wanted implementation of the High Court proceedings rather than a one-off payment.

Minhaz Rahman holds the books of his son Mahtab Rahman, who died in the Milestone tragedy.

Retired Col Nurun Nabi, founder and advisor to Milestone School and College, said successive meetings were held with government officials, but parents remained dissatisfied with the proposed assistance.

He said many children had suffered severe burn injuries requiring repeated surgeries over many months, making treatment extremely expensive.

 “The education ministry repeatedly asked us to receive the money, but since the parents refused, not a single family accepted it,” he said.

The Milestone School and College campus, a year after the deadly crash.

The Milestone School and College campus, a year after the deadly crash.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the families considered the proposed compensation too low and declined to accept it.

“Our formal discussions with them ended there, leaving the issue unresolved. I don’t know whether the new government has taken any further steps,” she told bdnews24.com.

She said the committee had also decided to provide medical support, but no final decision had been taken on which ministry would ultimately disburse the compensation. The Air Force training jet moments after crashing into the Milestone School campus in Uttara on Jul 21, 2025.

The Air Force training jet moments after crashing into the Milestone School campus in Uttara on Jul 21, 2025.

Mohammad Nazmul Haque, president of the organisation representing families affected by the tragedy, said the government’s priority should now be implementing the High Court petition or fully publishing the investigation commission’s report, which also contains recommendations on compensation.

He said several children remained critically injured and continued to undergo repeated surgeries, making the proposed assistance grossly inadequate.

 “There are children who still cannot stand or walk properly. How can Tk 500,000 support them for the rest of their lives?” he asked.

Nazmul added that, since the new government took office, no one had formally contacted the affected families despite repeated attempts to raise the issue with senior officials.

Calls to Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon and State Minister Bobby Hajjaj for comment went unanswered. -bdnews24

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