The aircraft that crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara was not a training aircraft but a combat-ready fighter jet, clarified the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Tuesday, July 22. Addressing media reports, ISPR stated, “Some news outlets have described the aircraft as a training plane. We humbly clarify that it was a fighter jet suitable for combat, engaged in a training exercise.”On Monday, July 21, at 1:06 p.m., the FT-7BGI fighter jet took off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker in Kurmitola, Dhaka, and crashed shortly afterward into a two-story building on the Milestone School and College campus. The government has confirmed 27 deaths, including 25 children, in the incident so far. Currently, 78 individuals are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, many with critical injuries.
Immediately after the crash, rescue operations were launched by the Fire Service, army, and Border Guard Bangladesh. The jet struck the building while students were attending classes or taking exams, causing a fire and trapping many under debris. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has formed a high-level committee to investigate the crash and declared Tuesday a national day of mourning.
