Credited from: CHANNELNEWSASIA
On July 21, a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka, unleashing a catastrophic fireball. In the chaos, Maherin Chowdhury, a 46-year-old English teacher, displayed extraordinary bravery, repeatedly entering a burning classroom to save students. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries later that day, having suffered near-total burns on her body. Her brother, Munaf Mojib Chowdhury, recounted her final words, stating, "When her husband called her, pleading with her to leave the scene and think of her children, she refused, saying, 'They are also my children, they are burning. How can I leave them?'" according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.
The crash, caused by mechanical failure of the F-7 BGI jet during a training mission, claimed the lives of at least 31 individuals, including 25 children, as flames engulfed the school premises. A doctor reported that most injured were aged between 10 and 15, suffering from severe burns caused by jet fuel. The jet's pilot was also killed in the incident. This has become Bangladesh's deadliest aviation disaster in decades, as stated by BBC and Channel News Asia.
Throughout the aftermath, Maherin was remembered for her heroic actions, with her husband, Mansur Helal, recalling her determination: "I did my best to pull out about 20 to 25 people - as much as I could," she reportedly said before being hospitalized. Hundreds of mourners attended her burial in her home district of Nilphamari, as the nation collectively grieved. Reports of protests emerged soon after the crash, with students demanding accountability for the disaster and changes in aviation protocol. Activists expressed their concerns over the safety of the aging jets used by the military, highlighting a need for reform, according to Reuters and BBC.