Milestone School and College in Uttara reopened on a limited scale on Sunday, as students and teachers cautiously stepped back into a campus still scarred by the trauma of a deadly air crash just twelve days ago.
Instead of the usual morning buzz, the return began with silence — a memorial assembly in honour of the 34 people, mostly children, who lost their lives when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed onto the school’s rooftop on 21 July.
The institution has opted for a gradual reopening, starting only with students from grades nine to twelve and limiting each day to just one or two classes, officials confirmed.
“This isn’t about resuming academics, it’s about helping students slowly find their footing,” said Shah Bulbul, the school’s public relations officer. “We want them to feel safe again.”
Teachers have been trained to offer emotional support, while a medical and psychological aid camp set up by the Air Force remains active inside the campus. Counsellors are working with both survivors and classmates of the deceased, many of whom are still reeling from the horror.
The crash, which occurred just after noon on 21 July, triggered a massive fire and claimed at least 20 lives on the spot. Many were children attending school. As rescue efforts unfolded, the death toll rose to 34, marking one of the worst peacetime school tragedies in the country’s history.
In the days following the disaster, the school remained closed and the nation mourned. A formal state observance was held on 22 July.
Initially, the school had announced a three-day closure until 23 July, later extending it to 2 August as the death toll rose and the scale of trauma became clear. Sunday’s return marks the first step towards long-term recovery.
Among the injured students, nine have now been released from hospital, but several remain under critical care in various Dhaka hospitals.
With many classrooms still carrying visible reminders of the crash, school authorities say there is no timeline for full reopening. “Right now, healing comes before everything else,” said a senior teacher.