Bereaved guardians have demanded a fair investigation and trial of the authorities of Milestone School and College in Uttara, accusing them of running illegal coaching business and not installing fire fighting equipment on the premises.
They alleged at a press conference held the National Press Club on Tuesday that because their children had to attend the coaching classes on the fateful day of the Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crash on July 21, they were killed.
They raised a nine-point demand charter at the press event and also alleged that an absence of fire fighting arrangements on the campus, dousing operations could not be started at the instant of the crash, demanding a probe into the accident and trial of the Milestone authorities.
They accused the Milestone authorities of gross negligence, saying that they had failed to equip the campus with fundamental safety kits, including installing fire extinguisher and setting up several exit paths, causing the death toll to increase in the jet crash incident.
At least 36 people, most of whom were primary-level students, were killed as the fighter fell on a building on the institution鈥檚 premises.
The nine-point demand charter included the closure of coaching business at Milestone and all educational institutions and compensation for the victims.
At the press conference the guardians explained that recurrence of such fatal accidents could be prevented in future, justice would be delivered, and examples for the future would be established if the government met their demands.
The 9-point demand is鈥攆air investigation and trial of the Milestone authorities; closure of coaching business at all educational institutions; Tk 2 crore for each deceased student and Tk 1 crore for each injured student as compensation from the Milestone authorities; relocation of Milestone or air force runway; removal and trial of the top officials of Milestone for running the coaching business;鈥檚 main responsible people for their role in running the on-campus coaching business; removal of the teachers who were spreading false propaganda against the guardians in the social media; making public the school鈥檚 CCTV footage; Tk 5 crore for each student who was killed and Tk 1 crore for each injured student as compensation from the government; and relocation of air force鈥檚 training activities.
The Milestone authorities on August 12, responding to the accusations raised by the guardians at a human chain on the same day, issued a press release that said they did not force any student to attend the coaching classes.
According to the school authorities, among the deceased victims are 28 schoolchildren, three schoolteachers, three guardians and one school attendant.
The other deceased in the crash is the pilot of the aircraft.
