A teacher, Mahreen Chowdhury, is being hailed as a hero after she is believed to have saved at least 20 students from a devastating inferno. Chowdhury, who taught children in Classes 3 to 5, reportedly re-entered teh burning building multiple times, sustaining burns over 80% of her body. She died from her injuries, having saved the lives of young students who were unable to escape on their own.
The incident has left the school’s staff in deep distress. Shafiqul islam Tultul, a 43-year-old Bengali teacher, described his ongoing grief, stating, “I can’t function normally anymore.Every time I look at the building, a wave of grief crashes over me. I feel lost, unwell and depressed. I’ve lost three children I knew – one of them was my colleague’s.”
Following the tragedy, there has been confusion regarding the exact number of casualties. The government has reported 29 deaths and over 100 injuries, with seven victims still unidentified. Though, the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has stated the death toll to be 31. The Health Ministry reported 69 injuries from the crash and rescue efforts, including 41 students.
Speculation about a potential cover-up has circulated on social media, claims that the Bangladesh Armed Forces have strongly refuted.The school’s head teacher, khadija Akhter, informed BBC Bengali that families have reported five individuals still missing.
Survivors continue to grapple with the trauma. One eyewitness, ahnaf, shared his ongoing struggle, saying, “I haven’t slept for two days. Every time I look outside,I feel like a fighter jet is coming at me. The screams are still in my ears.” He noted that the school campus is located in the flight path of Dhaka’s international airport, making frequent overflights by fighter jets and commercial planes a common occurrence. “We’re used to seeing planes overhead – but we never imagined one would fall from the sky and strike us,” Ahnaf added.
The harrowing memories of the event, including the screams, the fire, and the sight of casualties, continue to haunt Ahnaf. He described his experience of closing his eyes, stating, “When I close my eyes, it’s not darkness I see – it’s smoke.”
