Students warn of road blockade if government fails to respond by 12:30pm

Students protesting Tuesday at Milestone School and College in Uttara over the deadly plane crash have warned they will block the road in front of Uttara BNS Centre if a government representative does not arrive by 12:30pm.

Beginning around 10:00am, hundreds of students gathered at the college roundabout to mourn the victims of Monday’s Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash, which claimed dozens of lives and left many injured.

Holding placards with messages like “We don’t want justice, we want our children’s bodies” and “We demand proper identification of the bodies,” the demonstrators staged a peaceful sit-in and placed a six-point demand before the authorities.

“We know from experience that unless we take to the streets, the government won’t act. So we are giving them time until 12:30pm. If no one shows up, we’ll block the road,” one student declared during the protest.

Despite repeated requests from police to clear the intersection, the demonstrators remained in place, determined to continue their protest.

“We do not seek violence,” said another protester. “But our stand against this injustice is firm. A major tragedy happened, yet no one is being held responsible. No concrete steps have been taken. We demand justice.”

Their demands include:

• Publishing the names and addresses of the deceased,

• Releasing an accurate list of the injured,

• An unconditional apology for mistreatment of teachers,

• Compensation for the victims’ families,

• Immediate cancellation of unsafe aircraft,

• Reforms to the training protocols of military aviation.

The demonstration follows Monday afternoon’s horrific incident, in which a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a building of Milestone School and College, igniting a fire that engulfed both the plane and the building.

At the time of the crash, the building was occupied by numerous students—many of whom were killed or gravely injured.

Rescue operations began shortly after the crash, with eight fire service units from Uttara and surrounding areas responding. Border Guard Bangladesh and army personnel later joined the operation. The injured were airlifted to hospitals via an air force helicopter.

As of 8:00am Tuesday, the confirmed death toll stood at 27, with at least 78 others undergoing treatment in various hospitals.