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Published : 22 Jul 2025, 10:27 PM
Interim government advisors Asif Nazrul and CR Abrar have sneaked out of the Milestone School and College nine hours after being confined by angry students protesting over the deadly Air Force jet crash in Diabari.
Law Advisor Asif Nazrul and Education Advisor CR Abrar had arrived at the school on Monday morning to meet with students and teachers.
But they ended up trapped inside a conference room as thousands gathered outside, demanding justice and shouting slogans such as “We want justice” and “My brother is dead, we want answers.”
Around 3:30pm, the two attempted to leave in an unmarked government vehicle under heavy police escort, with riot police forming a protective shield around them. But they had to retreat as students blocked the roundabout just outside the school gates.
They exited around 7:30pm, escorted quietly through an internal road connected to the metro rail depot, after police had cleared the protest area.
Earlier in the day, the advisors held a closed-door meeting with a delegation of teachers and students. Addressing protesters afterwards, Nazrul announced that all six student demands had been accepted and that the government stood in full agreement with their cause.
“I assure you, every one of your demands will be met,” he said, calling them “logical and justified”. He also issued a public apology on behalf of the government for the alleged misconduct by security forces and promised action.
But moments after his remarks, students surged forward shouting “fraud, fraud”, prompting police to intervene and move the advisors back inside.
The campus remained on high alert through the afternoon as additional platoons of police, APBn, and counterterror units arrived. Students briefly vandalised glass panels in one of the buildings. The advisors were moved to an upper floor for safety.
The protest began around 10am, with students and parents voicing fury over Monday’s crash, which saw a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 training jet slam into the school during a solo training flight, leaving at least 28 dead and 68 hospitalised. Most of the victims were schoolchildren.
Their demands included:
A verified list of the deceased with names and details
A complete, accurate list of those injured
A public apology from armed forces personnel accused of assaulting teachers
Full compensation from the Air Force for families of the deceased
Retirement of outdated aircraft in favour of modern jets
Relocation and reform of air force training centres to ensure public safety
As tension peaked around 2:15pm, a group of students blocked the school’s main gate after hearing the advisors might leave. One police vehicle was damaged in the process.
Though students eventually retreated from the main building, they regrouped at the nearby roundabout, continuing chants and slogans.
It was not until after sunset, once police cleared the roadblock, that the two advisors and three other officials, including the Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, were able to slip out via the metro road.
Tuesday was declared a day of national mourning following the crash, the second deadliest aviation disaster in Bangladesh’s history.
