Milestone student recounts ‘my best friend died before my eyes’

Farhan Hasan had just left the classroom after finishing an exam and chatting with friends when a Bangladesh Air Force plane crashed into his school campus. At least 27 people have been reported dead in the accident so far. The student from Milestone School and College in the capital Uttara told the BBC, ‘the burning plane hit the building in front of my eyes.’ Video footage from the school showed a huge fire and thick smoke billowing after the plane hit a two-storey building. More than 170 people were injured in the accident. The armed forces said the F-7 jet encountered a mechanical failure after taking off for a training exercise after 1pm local time on Monday (July 21). The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Tauqir Islam, was among the dead. Farhan, a student with his uncle and father, told the BBC: “My best friend, who I was with in the exam hall, died in front of my eyes.” Farhan added: “In front of my eyes… the plane passed over his head. And many parents were standing inside, because young children were coming out because the school was closed… the plane also took the parents.” A teacher at the college, Rezaul Islam, told the BBC that he saw the plane hit the building “directly.” Another teacher, Masud Tariq, told Reuters: “I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I saw only fire and smoke… there were many parents and children here.”