The High Court has directed the establishment of an expert committee to investigate Monday’s tragic crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet into Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari area, which resulted in multiple student casualties.
During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, a bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Syed Zahed Mansur issued the investigative order while simultaneously mandating adequate compensation for victims’ families through a court rule.
Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Bar Council Advocate Zainul Abedin along with Barrister Kaiser Kamal and Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal represented the petitioners who had filed the writ petition seeking multiple remedies.
These included not only the crash investigation but also a ban on operating faulty aircraft in populated areas nationwide, full disclosure of Air Force maintenance protocols for its fleet, arrangements for advanced overseas medical treatment for injured victims, and substantial compensation – specifically Tk5 crore for families of deceased students and Tk1 crore for each injured student.
The state’s case was presented by Deputy Attorney General Shafiqur Rahman and other government lawyers.
The tragic incident occurred at around 1pm Monday when the F-7 fighter jet plummeted into the school building, triggering immediate fires. As of 8am Tuesday, the confirmed death toll stood at 31, mostly children, with numerous others still receiving hospital treatment.
The crash site, containing multiple classrooms of younger students at the time of impact, witnessed devastating casualties as the aircraft’s impact and subsequent fire trapped numerous victims.
The court’s intervention came through Advocate Anisur Rahman Raihan Bhuiyan’s petition, which specifically demanded transparency regarding the number of potentially defective aircraft in Air Force inventory and their maintenance history.
The judicial orders aim to both determine the precise causes behind the crash and establish accountability measures to prevent similar incidents involving military aircraft operating near civilian areas. Authorities continue to assess the full extent of casualties while implementing the High Court’s directives regarding victim compensation and investigative procedures.