Staff Correspondent:

The interim government has decided to give state honour to the two teachers of Milestone School and College, who died from critical injuries they sustained while trying to save the students from the fire after a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed at the school premises.

The teachers Maherin Chowdhury and Masuka Begum succumbed to their burn injuries on the night of the crash (21 July).

The decision to give them state honour was made on Thursday (July 24) during an Advisory Council meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office, according to a statement from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.

Details of this recognition will be finalised shortly, it added.

It was also decided that the government would provide all necessary support to the families of the deceased and to those injured in this tragic incident. To this end, the Ministry of Education will consult with the school authorities to determine the next steps.

At the beginning of the meeting, a condolence resolution was adopted in memory of those who lost their lives in the plane crash involving Milestone School and College.

A one-minute silence was observed in their honour, and prayers were offered for the forgiveness of the departed souls.

Additionally, to pray for the souls of the deceased and for the recovery of the injured, special prayers will be held tomorrow at all religious institutions. The Ministry of Religious Affairs will coordinate these efforts accordingly.

On 21 July, when a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft crashed into a building of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara, chaos and fire swept through the premises within moments. As people ran for their lives, Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher at the school, did not seek safety. Instead, she chose to stay behind—helping children escape through the flames, ultimately sustaining fatal burns.

Maherin was the coordinator for Classes 3, 4, and 5 at the primary section of the institution. After the crash, her colleagues urged her to leave the building. But she refused. Her priority was the children.

Doctors at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery said she suffered 100% burns. After fighting for her life for several hours, Maherin passed away at 10:30pm on 21 July.

Meanwhile, another teacher Masuka Begum also suffered the same fate.

She was laid to rest on Tuesday afternoon (22 July) at her sister’s village home in Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria.

She was reportedly inside a classroom when the aircraft hit.

According to family members, she tried to help her students escape but was caught in the flames. She died later that night while receiving treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

“She could have saved herself. But she tried to save the children first. Before she died, she asked that her body be brought to her sister’s house. We fulfilled that wish,” said Khalilur Rahman, her brother-in-law.