Protesting students at Milestone School and College in Dhaka rejected government assurances on Tuesday (July 22), chanting slogans of “false, false” and throwing shoes and plastic bottles at security personnel.
The unrest erupted around 12:45 pm, when Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and Education Adviser Dr CR Abrar attempted to leave Building-5 after visiting the site where a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed two days earlier, killing 31 people and injuring several civilians.
Students surrounded the advisers, blocking their exit and shouting demands for justice and accountability.
At 1:55 pm, Dr Nazrul addressed the demonstrators via loudspeaker, accompanied by Dr Abrar and CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, promising the government’s full support in meeting the students’ six-point demand.
“We fully agree with your demands. They are entirely justified,” said Dr Nazrul. “As representatives of the interim government, we assure you that each of these demands will be fulfilled.”
He pledged hourly updates from the school’s conference room and vowed to ensure transparent information regarding the identities of the deceased and injured.
Responding to allegations that students were manhandled by military personnel during earlier crowd control efforts, Nazrul expressed regret.
“We apologize on behalf of the government. The authorities involved will be informed and held accountable,” he added.
However, the students remained unconvinced. As soon as the speech ended, the crowd resumed chanting “we want justice”, prompting another round of shouting and scuffling.
The two advisers were forced to retreat inside the building for safety.
The protest follows Sunday’s jet crash on the school campus, which has drawn national outrage and triggered student demands for accountability, safety reforms, and compensation for victims’ families.
MSK/SMS
Milestone students block 2 advisers, reject govt assurance
Staff Correspondent
A section of protesting students at Milestone School and College in Dhaka rejected government assurances on Tuesday (July 22), chanting “false, false” and throwing shoes and bottles at police.
The unrest broke out around 12:45pm when Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Education Adviser CR Abrar tried to leave after visiting the site of the Air Force jet crash. Students surrounded them at Building-5, blocking their exit and heightening tensions.
At 1:55pm, Asif Nazrul addressed the crowd via loudspeaker, joined by CR Abrar and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the students’ six-point demand.
“We fully agree with your demands. They are entirely justified. As representatives of the interim government, we assure you that every demand will be fulfilled,” Nazrul said.
He added that an hourly update would be provided from the school’s conference room and pledged accurate information about the deceased and injured.
Nazrul also expressed regret over allegations that members of the military had physically assaulted students during crowd control efforts and said appropriate action would be taken.
“We apologize on behalf of the government. The authorities will be informed and held accountable,” he said.
Despite these assurances, many students remained unconvinced. The crowd resumed chanting slogans such as “false, false” and “we want justice,” leading to pushing and shouting at the scene. The two advisers were forced to retreat inside Building-5 for safety.
A large number of police personnel were stationed outside the building. Teachers and student representatives attempted to calm the demonstrators and prevent further escalation.
The student protest follows Sunday’s Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crash that killed two pilots and injured several civilians on the Milestone School campus. The incident has sparked outrage and demands for transparency, safety reforms, and compensation for victims’ families.
MSK/
