Few would have ever witnessed such a grief-stricken morning.
The sun rose today like it does every day, but its light perhaps never reached Uttara's Milestone School and College.
As one arrived at the campus, not a single face bore a semblance of brightness. The entire campus was frozen in grief.
The Haider Ali Building, where the aircraft crashed on Monday, was seen cordoned off by members of the Bangladesh Air Force.
Marks left by the fire are still visible in the area.
Someone stood holding a burnt schoolbag, gazing into the distance.
Whose bag is this? Did the child not survive?
But who is there to ask these questions?
Visitors silently wiped their tears.
Some, even after the night had passed, were searching for their loved ones. Such was the atmosphere at Milestone School and College this morning, heavy, grief-stricken, and silent.
Standing in front of the Haider Ali Building, it felt as if this place was alive with the cheerful chatter of children just a day ago.
And today, utter silence.
The place now seems to be weighed down by the unbearable sorrow.
One parent said, "Children used to play here every day…"
He couldn't finish his sentence.
Milestone College teacher Shafiqul Islam Tutul was standing not far from the building.
Describing the incident, he said, "Just after 1:00pm, I heard a loud bang. Then I rushed over from the adjacent building and saw flames."
Another person standing nearby said, "Honestly, teachers, students, and the army all did what they could. But the scale of destruction was so massive. There was nothing anyone could do."
Timeline of a tragedy
The campus of Milestone College is quite large.
On its eastern side stands the four-storey Haider Ali Building.
Students from grades 2 to 8 attend their classes in this building. Lessons begin at 8:00am and continue until 1:00pm.
The residential students return to their hostels after their classes. Many head to the nearby canteen, while other students wait for their parents.
That was the scenario yesterday.
Classes began just like any other day.
At exactly 1:00pm, the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day for the school section.
Just as the children were getting ready to head home, the horrific tragedy occurred.
Mohiuddin Mukul, another teacher from the college, described the accident to Dhaka Stream.
"I was in the adjacent building at the time. Suddenly, I heard a deafening sound. I rushed over, because my niece studies in that building," he said.
"But what I saw… words can't describe it."
He added that the plane had crashed right where the staircase and main entrance of the Haider Ali Building are located. Its front section had penetrated nearly 15 to 20 feet into the ground. The rear section of the aircraft had broken off and struck the second floor of the building. By then, the building was already on fire. Smoke was everywhere, covering everything.
The children were screaming, but as the plane crashed right in front of the staircase and main entrance, no one could get out.
In the chaos, teachers rushed to the scene.
Students from the college section came running too.
Within just three to four minutes, personnel from the Diabari army camp arrived, followed shortly by the fire brigade.
Together, they quickly broke the grills on both sides of the building and rescued 20 to 30 children.
As Mohiuddin Mukul recounted the harrowing details of the incident, his eyes filled up with tears.
In a choked voice, he said, "If many of the students hadn't gone to the hostel or canteen after school ended, I can't even imagine what would have happened."
We fell silent and were drifting aimlessly through the campus, as if lost in a nightmare.
The only sound to be heard was that of people weeping.
Meherin saved many children
"My miss is gone… my miss is gone…"
The little girl broke down in tears as she uttered those words.
She had arrived on campus around 9:30am this morning, holding her mother's hand.
Her eyes were looking at the charred remains of the Haider Ali Building.
So much was there in those eyes – grief, confusion, and disbelief.
Yesterday, alongside the students, two teachers from Milestone College, Meherin Chowdhury and Masuka Begum, lost their lives in the fire.
Masuka Begum was an English teacher in the English medium section, while Meherin taught in the Bangla medium.
At the time of the incident, Meherin was on the third floor of the building.
One of her colleagues broke into tears saying, "Meherin apa was such a kind-hearted person. Though she herself was burnt, she kept rescuing the children. Nearly 80% of her body was burned while trying to save them."
'At least return her uniform'
By then, the morning light had begun to age.
Crowds had started to gather at Milestone School and College.
Amid the chaos, a voice cut through suddenly. "Please… however you can, find my niece."
As we went closer, a man in his early thirties introduced himself.
"I'm Sagar Hossain," he said, adding that his niece, Raisa Moni, was in class three. Her student ID is 2010. We haven't found her since yesterday.
"Since the incident, we've visited eight hospitals… even the burn unit. We searched all night. There's no sign of Raisa anywhere. Please… however you can, find my little niece. If nothing else, at least return her uniform."
As he began speaking, a crowd quickly gathered around him.
"Since yesterday, we've been going from one hospital to another. My sister and brother-in-law [Raisa's parents], both are now ill. If we don't find Raisa… what are we supposed to do?"
After wandering for a few moments, we again met Sagar Hossain, who appeared noticeably subdued.
With deep affection, he gently touched the notebook and books.
As we approached, he said, "Look, I found Raisa's notebook and books."
Sagar repeatedly opened and showed the wet notebook.
Though soaked during firefighting efforts, the name "Raisa Moni" written in English letters on the cover was still visible.
Inside the notebook, Raisa's handwriting was on every page.
With a trembling voice, Sagar asked, "Is my niece still alive?"
This question only met silence from those witnessing tragedy unfold.
'Mother, children are dying, what should I do?'
The green field of Milestone School and College became a gathering place for teachers, students, and locals.
The sun blazed overhead, and everyone was sweating profusely. But amidst the sweat and tears, who could tell the difference between the salty tears of grief and the sweat of pain?
The entire Milestone School and College community is heartbroken and angry over the tragic deaths. The local residents are also angry.
Sanjida Akter Smriti, an eleventh-grade science student at the college, was near the building when the plane crashed.
"Why are our children dying like this?" she questioned as she recounted the harrowing moments.
Smriti described the moment saying, "I was a little distance away from the building. And suddenly there was a deafening sound, so loud it felt like my eardrums were bursting. Then I saw flames rising.
"I didn't know what to do. I felt helpless. I called my mother and asked, 'the children are dying, what should I do?'"
Smriti's voice wavered, and she took a moment before continuing, "I have been studying at Milestone since class two. Every day, planes fly over us, and there is a training base right nearby. Why would a plane fly over this residential area?
"Yesterday, I saw burnt children. Since then, I haven't been able to eat anything. Who will answer for this?" she added.
Smriti's words pierced the ears like thorns.
The scorching sun hanging over Milestone School and College seemed to blaze fiercely, as if fuelled by anger.
As I left the school, I couldn't help but wonder, will we be able to answer the questions left behind by Sagar and Smriti?
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