Relatives of Students Killed in Front of Milestone School Protest, Present 8-Point Demands

On Tuesday morning (August 12), relatives of the students and guardians who lost their lives in the plane crash at Milestone School and College campus in Diabari, Uttara on July 21 held a protest and human chain in front of the school. Chanting slogans such as "Why did all the flowers burn? We want justice," and "Why did the children burn? We demand answers," they called for a fair investigation and speedy trial.

The relatives presented eight demands, including:

• A proper investigation and assurance of punishment for the guilty.
  
  

• Immediate closure of coaching businesses in all educational institutions nationwide, including Milestone School.
  
  

• Compensation of 50 million taka for each deceased student and 10 million taka for the injured from the government.
  
  

• The school authority should pay 20 million taka as compensation for the deceased and 10 million taka as a fine for the injured.
  
  

• The school premises must be relocated quickly, or the runway area must be changed.
  
  

• The main culprit of the coaching business and the headmistress of the school branch, Miss Khadija, should be removed and prosecuted within 72 hours.
  
  

• Military training should be relocated to a sparsely populated area.
  
  

• CCTV footage of the day of the accident should be released promptly.
  
  

Rina Akter, mother of Saima Akter, a third-grade student participating in the protest, said, “My daughter used to say Miss Ador would not care if she didn’t attend coaching. I sent my daughter to coaching, and because of that coaching, she lost her life.”

Sabbir, maternal uncle of the deceased Umme Afia, said, “Many days have passed since the incident, but we know nothing about the progress of the investigation or trial.”

Earlier, on July 21, a military aircraft crashed on the Milestone School campus, killing 35 students and guardians and injuring over a hundred. Though the school reopened on August 3 after being closed for 12 days, the atmosphere has not regained its liveliness. A deep sense of grief and silence prevails among the students.

The relatives expressed their determination to continue demanding justice until their demands are met.