On Monday afternoon, Uttara in Dhaka turned into a scene of unimaginable horror as a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus. The tragedy has plunged families into grief, with 27 confirmed deaths and over 170 injuries reported so far. Among the injured, 48 remain in critical condition, with most suffering burns covering 70 to 80 percent of their bodies, according to Dr. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser. Amid this heartbreaking incident, the most poignant story is that of a missing child, Raisa Moni.Raisa Moni, a 9-year-old third-grader in the Skies Section of Milestone School, is the daughter of Md. Sahabul Sheikh from Bajra village, Gopalpur Union, Alfadanga Upazila, Faridpur. It is believed she was preparing to head home after classes just before the crash. However, Raisa has been missing since the incident. Her name is neither among the burn victims nor the deceased, leaving her family in a state of desperation as they search from hospital to hospital.
Her mother’s only plea is, “Allah, bring my daughter back alive. Her school bag was left in the classroom—where did she go?” On Monday night, Raisa’s uncle, Imdadul, told reporters, “We have no trace of my niece, Raisa Moni. After hearing about the accident, we searched the Burn Unit and various hospitals in Uttara, but we couldn’t find her anywhere.”
The absence of their daughter is suffocating Raisa’s family with every passing moment. Her parents are distraught, their world seemingly halted. The aircraft crashed into the rear section of Milestone College’s main building, igniting a fire that spread rapidly. Students, some on the playground and others preparing to leave, were caught in the catastrophe as the campus turned into a death trap within moments.
Victims were rushed to hospitals including Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital, Lubna General Hospital, CMH, Kurmitola General Hospital, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Yet, many, including Raisa and other children, remain unaccounted for. Families hold onto hope, roaming hospital corridors, waiting for any news—perhaps someone will say, “There’s a girl here named Raisa.”
As relatives search for their loved ones through tears, their lives feel trapped in a nightmare. Time passes, but Raisa remains missing. Leaning against hospital walls, their cries echo—did little Raisa, who came down from the third floor, survive somewhere?
The scale of this tragedy and the desperate pleas of Raisa’s family remind us that even amidst technological progress, a single moment of failure can shatter countless lives. Urgent rescue operations and state-led efforts to locate the missing are critical now. No more children like Raisa should be lost to the darkness.
