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Two advisors of the interim government have been confined inside the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka’s Diabari after protesting students blocked their exit and staged a sit-in over the deadly jet crash at the institution.
Law Advisor Asif Nazrul and Education Advisor CR Abrar visited the school on Tuesday morning to speak with students and teachers, reports bdnews24.com.
But as they tried to leave at around 3:30pm, angry protesters surrounded their vehicle, forcing them to retreat under police protection.
The students have been occupying the school compound and nearby roundabout since the morning, shouting slogans and demanding justice. Many of the demonstrators held placards with writings like “Why did my brother die?” and “No politics over corpses.”
On Monday, a Bangladesh Air Force F-7BGI training jet crashed into the school building during a routine exercise, triggering a massive fire. The official death toll rose to 29, with 69 under hospital care, 10 of them in critical condition.
Asif Nazrul had reached the campus shortly before 10am. As he entered, students chanted slogans of disapproval and confronted law enforcement vehicles. He later sat for a meeting with student and teacher representatives, along with Abrar and two press officials from the Chief Advisor’s Office.
After a discussion, Nazrul addressed the media and said the government would accept all six demands made by the students, including an accurate list of those killed and injured, as well as compensation for the families of the dead.
“We fully agree with your demands. They are reasonable and just,” he said. “On behalf of the chief advisor, I assure you that action will be taken.”
The six-point demand also includes punishment for security personnel who mistreated teachers, and reform of Air Force procedures.
Despite Nazrul’s assurances, the students remained unconvinced. As the officials tried to leave, protesters surged toward the main gate, damaging a police vehicle and escalating tensions. Heavily armed riot police, including units from APBn, DMP, and the ATU, were deployed inside the school premises.
Teachers tried to calm the students, urging them to leave. Though some exited briefly, many reassembled outside and began blocking the road anew. Inside, several students broke windowpanes of the school’s Building No. 5.
When the advisors made a second attempt to leave in a white SUV, it was again surrounded by shouting protesters. After a 15-minute standoff, the vehicle reversed back into the school building.