Students of Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka, staged a protest on Tuesday following Monday`s deadly plane crash on the campus. Around 10:30 AM, two advisers — legal expert Dr. Asif Nazrul and educationist Dr. C R Abrar — arrived at the college for an inspection. As they were leaving, students surrounded them and began chanting slogans.
The advisers, along with several faculty members, proceeded to a conference room on the ground floor of Building No. 5.
There, they engaged in discussions with five to seven student representatives. Outside, hundreds of students continued their demonstration.
The protesting students are demanding the official release of the names and identities of the deceased, an accurate and complete list of those injured, compensation for affected families, and the replacement of outdated and unsafe air force training aircraft with modern, safer alternatives.
Students had initially planned to begin a sit-in on the campus at 9:00 AM. However, shortly after 9:15 AM, authorities from the Diabari Army Camp made announcements via loudspeakers prohibiting any kind of gathering, rally, or sit-in in the Diabari roundabout and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, a large crowd of onlookers was seen near the college throughout the morning. Some were searching for missing relatives or children.
Milestone’s security guard Amir Hossain said, "People started arriving at dawn. We are politely asking them not to crowd the area."
Several residential students were seen leaving their hostels early in the morning. Parents were also arriving to take their children home. Students were seen evacuating Haidar Ali Hostel, located behind the building where the plane crashed.
Salahuddin Ahmed, a parent, shared his anxiety: "When I first heard the news yesterday, I was terrified. Later, I found out my son was safe."
Afreen, a teacher at the school, said the building hit by the aircraft was primarily used for elementary-level classes and had sustained significant damage. However, she could not confirm how many students were inside at the time or which specific classes were affected.
According to Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, special medical assistant to the chief adviser, 27 students have died in the incident as of Tuesday morning. Another 78 are currently undergoing treatment at four different hospitals.
Milestone College Director Russell Talukder stated that a help desk has been set up on the ground floor of Building No. 1 to coordinate information regarding the deceased and injured. Teachers are working to update the records as parents arrive to provide or collect information.
