Staff Reporter :
Classes partially resumed on Sunday at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara, twelve days after a tragic Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash claimed the lives of 34 people – mostly children – and left more than 100 injured.
Although the Diabari campus reopened, no regular classes, examinations, or formal academic activities were held on the first day.
The institution’s administration said the partial reopening aimed to provide students with a gentle and gradual return to school life, allowing space for healing and emotional recovery.
When visited on Sunday morning, the campus bore a sombre atmosphere.
From around 10:00?AM, students entered the premises quietly, in stark contrast to the usual bustle of a school day.
At 10:30?AM, a special prayer and condolence gathering was held, attended by the principal, teachers, parents, and students.
Many students from Years 9 to 12 sat silently in classrooms, though no teaching took place.
The mood remained subdued throughout the morning.
Shah Bulbul, Public Relations Officer for the institution, stated that the reopening was driven by the need to support students’ mental well-being and to guide them gently back toward a sense of normalcy.
“Our priority is to help students overcome their fear and grief, and to ease them back into everyday life,” he said.
Despite the school’s best efforts, concerns remain among parents. Many gathered near the damaged building, expressing deep anxiety about safety and the fear of a similar incident recurring. Some students also admitted feeling uneasy – particularly when aircraft are heard overhead.
In response, the school has introduced counselling services on campus and, in coordination with the Bangladesh Air Force, established a medical camp to provide both physical and psychological support to affected students and their families.
All academic activities had been suspended immediately following the 21 July crash, which devastated the school community. Sunday’s memorial event marked the beginning of a series of healing initiatives aimed at honouring the victims and helping the school community recover from the tragedy together.
