Chartered Accountants hail three milestone teachers as sources of pride and role models

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that teachers Maherin Chowdhury, Masuka Begum, and Mahfuza Khanam—who lost their lives when a plane crashed into Milestone School and College—will forever be remembered by the nation as rare examples of courage and humanity.

Family members of the three teachers met the Chief Adviser on Tuesday at the State Guest House Jamuna. Present were Maherin Chowdhury’s husband Mansur Helal, sons Adil Rashid and Ayan Rashid, sister Mehtaz Chowdhury, brother Munaf Mujib Chowdhury, and relative Kawsar Hossain Chowdhury; Masuka Begum’s sister Papri Rahman and brother-in-law Khalilur Rahman; and Mahfuza Khatun’s daughter Ayesha Siddiqa, sister Murshida Khatun, nephew Md Maidul Islam, and relative Humayun Kabir.

Prof Yunus said the tragedy remains deeply etched in the nation’s memory.
“I wanted to meet you immediately after the incident, but it would not have been right at that painful time,” he told them. “We can express our condolences, but we cannot erase this unbearable memory. This grief is not yours alone— as a nation, we share it.”

The Chief Adviser invited the families to share their memories.

Maherin Chowdhury’s husband Mansur Helal recalled his last phone conversation with her as she was being rushed to hospital. “When I saw her at the Burn Institute, half of her body was burnt. Some children told me, ‘Miss saved us! She was fine! Why did this happen?’ I asked her, ‘Why didn’t you come out? Didn’t you think about your own children?’ She replied, ‘They are my children too. How could I leave them alone?’” Helal said people of all faiths are praying for her, remembering her as a selfless teacher devoted to everyone.

Mahfuza Khatun, who fought for her life for 24 days before passing away on August 14, was remembered by her daughter Ayesha Siddiqa. In tears, she said, “My mother had recovered so much—I thought she would return home with me. The day I put her in a wheelchair, I felt I had conquered the world. Now every day without her feels unreal. With my father already gone, I have become an orphan. How can I return home without my mother?”

Khalilur Rahman, brother-in-law of Masuka Begum, said she had long struggled with illness and weak eyesight, but still devoted herself to caring for her father and sister. “She would send money to her father, treat my children as her own, and stay connected to her family and school every day. They were her whole life,” he said.

Listening to the families, Prof Yunus said: “It is painful to hear your stories, but at the same time, we feel immense pride. These teachers gave their lives to save children, proving the highest form of humanity. They were ordinary people who made us extraordinary as a nation. Their sacrifice has shaken everyone, forcing us to ask: if we were in their place, could we have done the same?”

He added: “They are our pride and our role models. We must carry their memory forward, and we will do whatever is necessary to honor them.”

Advisers including Sayeda Rizwana Hasan (Environment), Nurjahan Begum (Health), Farida Akhter (Fisheries and Livestock), Sharmeen S Murshid (Women and Children Affairs), Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan (Road Transport, Bridges, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources), CR Abrar (Education), Adilur Rahman Khan (Housing and Public Works), and Principal Coordinator for SDGs Lamiya Morshed were also present.