S Arefin 
Pilot error identified early in the report
Bangladesh’s official investigation into the Milestone School and College jet crash has concluded that a pilot’s operational error led to loss of control during a training flight. The probe panel submitted its report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, who was briefed that the situation “went beyond the pilot’s control” mid-manoeuvre.
Casualties and context
The 21 July crash killed 36 people, including 28 students, three teachers, three parents, one staff member and the pilot, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Bangladesh in recent memory. Classes were in session when the Bangladesh Air Force FT-7 BGI struck buildings on the Uttara campus.
Building code violations under RAJUK
Investigators also found the school building was not built to RAJUK’s Bangladesh National Building Code. It had a single staircase where at least three were required, a deficiency that, according to the committee, worsened casualties; proper fire exits and escape routes were also lacking. Meanwhile, the government directed uniform enforcement of RAJUK rules across newly expanded municipal areas.
Probe method and key findings
The committee, formed on 29 July, interviewed about 150 people, gathered 168 findings, and issued 33 recommendations. As a result, the panel’s conclusions combine expert analysis, eyewitness accounts and technical review.
Training outside Dhaka, plus aviation safety steps
To reduce public risk, investigators recommended moving all initial Air Force flight training outside Dhaka. They also urged upgrades to the Barishal and Bogura airstrips to handle training sorties, equipping airport fire stations with foam tenders, and tightening restrictions on high-risk facilities—such as schools and hospitals—within take-off and landing funnel zones near airports. However, the report stresses that urban planning enforcement must advance alongside aviation fixes.
What happens next
Chief Adviser Yunus instructed the Air Force, RAJUK and the Civil Aviation Authority to implement the recommendations urgently. The government’s follow-through will be pivotal; stricter building oversight and revised training patterns could meaningfully lower the chance of another tragedy.
Image /Jubair Bin Iqbal/AFP/Getty Images
About The Author
Sultanul Arefin 
Suzan Seherin 
