‘Baba, I don’t want to go there, the building terrifies me’

Billal Hossain and Tania Akhter’s two children study at Milestone School and College in Diabari of Uttara in Dhaka. Their daughter, Tabassum Parvin, a seventh grader, while their son, Tanvir Hossain Abdullah, is in kindergarten.

On Sunday afternoon, the family was seen walking on the veranda of the school’s newly set-up counselling centre in a single-storey building to the right of the main entrance. Beyond that lies the Haidar Ali building, where a fighter jet crashed shortly after 1:00 pm on 21 July.

Billal said, “My daughter weeps constantly at home. That is why I’ve brought her to see a counsellor. Her friend Jarif Farhan passed away on Saturday while under treatment. They were classmates until fifth grade.”

Inside the counselling room, the scene was deeply affecting: rows of schoolbags neatly lined the floor, each labelled with the child’s name, roll number, class, and section. These bags had been abandoned in panic as children fled for their lives.

One of the bags belonged to Jafira Bashar, who arrived with her mother, Rifat Ferdous. The girl appeared visibly despondent.

Rifat explained that her daughter’s friend, Ayman, had died. “Jafira had waved goodbye to Ayman while holding her hand that day.”.

Ayman, a fourth grader (Section: Kakatuya), passed away at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery on Friday morning. Jafira, from the same section, had watched her friend perish.

With her voice breaking, Rifat added, “My daughter sees fire and friends in her dreams. She’s gone silent. She no longer watches her usual YouTube videos. The school told me she needs psychological support. And honestly, I’m also traumatised. Ayman went inside the building after saying goodbye. Their driver was meant to pick him up later.”

Another father, Saifur Rahman, came in with his two children. His daughter, Samia Akhter, was also in Ayman’s class. “My daughter saw something horrific. We’re doing everything we can to support her emotionally.”

According to the school, seven students from Class-VII (Section: Alamanda) have died—second only to Class-III (Section: Cloud), which lost eight children.

During the conversation, Tabassum stood silently beside her father, visibly distressed. Billal Hossain, owner of a sweater factory, lives near the school and typically picks up his children. “My son’s classes finished half an hour earlier,” he said. “I picked him up first and then went to get Tabassum. Just as she came out, the plane crashed. She suffered chest pain and breathing difficulties due to the smoke. She was admitted at Kuwait Friendship Hospital for a day. She saw her classmates burn alive. Her mental state is fragile. The counsellor said she needs time.”

While heading toward the medical team near the crash site, they paused in front of the Haidar Ali building. Tabassum suddenly stopped and said in a tearful voice, “Father, I don’t want to go there.”

She said, “Please, Dad, I don’t want to look at that building. It terrifies me.” Her eyes were fixed on the charred, two-storey structure. Her father gently led her away.

Speaking with school staff and guardians, it became clear that the Haidar Ali building was originally three storeys. The ground floor was buried over time as the site was filled with earth. It had been a hostel, encased in rod-reinforced grilles with a single entry/exit point.

An external iron staircase was once available but was removed when it was converted into a school building. When the plane crashed into the building and fire broke out beside the staircase, the sole exit became inaccessible—those inside were effectively trapped.

Mohammad Sayedul Amin, a senior teacher from the English version, broke part of a side grille and climbed down a tree with several children. Later, an army rescue team dismantled another grille to evacuate more students. An adjacent iron gate was also opened and used as a sliding escape route.

Sharmin Islam, a biology teacher at Milestone College, said her son, Surjo Somoy Biswas of Class-VII (Alamanda section), has been particularly anxious about his injured father. Her husband, Mukul Biswas, recently returned from Sierra Leone, where he works as an area manager for BRAC. He was struck by flying debris while collecting their son.

“Surjo escaped through the broken grille with his friends,” Sharmin said. “For two days, he kept asking me, ‘Mum, will Dad be okay?’ I later saw a video showing him standing on a ledge, helping his friends climb down first. I always wanted him to grow up with values. That day, he showed the country what he’s made of.”

Masud Alam, Vice Principal (Administration) of Milestone College, told Prothom Alo that teachers have been regularly visiting both the injured and the bereaved. So far, 26 students, three parents, two teachers, and one staff member have died—32 in total. Including the pilot, the health ministry has put the total death toll at 33. Another 46 are undergoing treatment.

The Ministry of Health has decided to create a structured support plan for the psychological wellbeing of the surviving children.

According to Mustafizur Rahman, Joint Secretary (Hospital Division), a special outpatient unit at the National Institute of Mental Health has been in operation since 22 July.

Additionally, five cabins and seven beds have been prepared for trauma cases. A child from the National Burn Institute has already been transferred there. A special medical committee has been formed, and its members are visiting hospitals treating the injured. In recent days, trauma counselling teams from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Ministry of Social Welfare, and BRAC have provided support at CMH.

Helal Uddin Ahmed, a child psychiatrist, told Prothom Alo that families and teachers must provide support during this traumatic period.

“Help children maintain routines—sleep, meals, daily tasks. Allow them to express their grief without judgement. It’s a normal reaction. Spend quality time with them—play games like Ludo or carrom. The school should slowly begin academic activities. The damaged building should be repaired, and part of it turned into a memorial to honour those lost. That would have a positive psychological effect,” he remarked.

He also urged journalists not to interview traumatised children directly. “It’s better to speak to their guardians,” he said.