Parents of students from a school in Diabarri, Uttara, have made eight demands including viewing the CCTV footage of the school on the day a military plane crashed nearby, and the closure of coaching centers operating within the school and other educational institutions.
On Tuesday morning, family members of students who were killed or injured in the crash held a human chain protest at Golchattar in Diabarri. They presented nine demands, which include:
Ensuring a fair investigation and justice into the incident.
Shutting down the coaching business in all educational institutions across the country, including the school involved.
The government should provide compensation of five crore taka to the family of each deceased student and one crore taka to each injured student.
The school must pay two crore taka for each deceased student and one crore taka for each injured student as fines.
Relocating educational institutions away from the runway area, or alternatively, moving the runway.
Removing the head of the school branch responsible for the coaching business within 72 hours and conducting a proper investigation.
Providing access to the school’s CCTV footage to parents.
Conducting military training exercises only in unpopulated areas.
Removing a teacher accused of physical misconduct during the protest.
Parents expressed concerns over the growing coaching business within the school, stating that many students feel pressured to attend coaching classes in order to receive teachers’ attention and care. They highlighted that the coaching business has been a source of conflict within the school community.
During the protest, parents criticized the school administration for not engaging with them or addressing their concerns. They alleged that some students were called to the school and questioned after participating in the protest.
The demonstration included placards bearing photos of the deceased students and slogans such as “Stop coaching as a business,” “We demand answers for the burning of our dreams,” “The plane came, but it left empty arms,” and “Education, not business.”
The parents emphasized their peaceful intentions and called for accountability and reforms to ensure student safety and end exploitative coaching practices in schools.
