NN Online:
Tensions flared at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara on Tuesday as students staged protests demanding transparency over the casualties in the recent Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) jet crash.
The unrest intensified when Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Education Adviser CR Abrar arrived on campus around 10:30 AM to assess the situation. As they attempted to leave, students encircled them, chanting “Fake! Fake!” in protest of what they claimed were misleading reports on the death toll and injuries.
The advisers, along with the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and several faculty members, took refuge in the conference room of Building No. 5 for a dialogue with a delegation of student representatives. However, hundreds of students remained outside, continuing their demonstration.
Students are demanding the government publish the verified identities of the deceased, a confirmed list of the injured, and ensure compensation for victims’ families.
In response to the growing unrest, additional law enforcement personnel—including members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Public Order Management (POM), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)—were deployed to the college premises around 3:15 PM.
The latest official figures report 27 confirmed deaths from Monday’s crash, including 25 children, a teacher, and a BAF pilot. Eight victims succumbed to their injuries overnight at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
“A total of 78 people are currently being treated at four different hospitals,” said Dr. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, during a morning press briefing. “Twenty of the deceased have been identified and their bodies handed over to their families.”
As of Tuesday evening, the two advisers remained inside the college compound, with the situation still tense.
