Milestone crash: HC orders removal of victims’ images

Staff Reporter :

The High Court has directed all online platforms and media outlets to immediately remove photos and videos of victims of the tragic air force jet crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari area.

The order was issued today (3 August) by a High Court bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua, following a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed last week.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why measures should not be taken against those responsible for allowing the widespread circulation of graphic images and footage of the victims.

The writ petition was filed on 29 July by Supreme Court lawyer Tasmiah Nuhiyah Ahmed.

Advocate Nuhiyah appeared before the court during the hearing, while Deputy Attorney General Md Golam Rahman Bhuiyan stood for the state.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Tasmiah Nuhiyah said the images, which showed severely injured and burnt children, had gone viral on social media and various online news sites, causing immense distress to the victims’ families and the public.

“International standards stress the need for sensitivity when publishing images of victims, especially children,” she said.

“We moved the petition to ensure these distressing visuals are removed and to push for stricter precautions in future incidents.”

On 21 July, a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a building of Milestone School and College, killing at least 34 people, most of them students, and injuring more than 100 others.

The devastating incident has left the entire community in shock and mourning.

The High Court’s directive aims to protect the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families, and to remind media outlets and digital platforms of their responsibility to handle such content with care.