The last tiffin but Nusrat couldn't take a bite
So far, 29 people — mostly schoolchildren — have died while many others are undergoing treatment with some in critical condition, the Directorate General of Health Services said today (23 July).
In Uttara's Diabari, a modest bedroom still holds onto memories of Nusrat Jahan, a Milestone School third-grader. Her books and notebooks remain where she left them – on a small table beside the bed – her handwritten name and roll number silently waiting, as if still calling for her.
A smiling photo from her early childhood hangs on the wall. Seeing it, Sumaiya, her elder sister, breaks down in tears. "She wasn't just a sister — my only playmate."
Nusrat was among the many lives lost in Monday's tragic plane crash at the Milestone School. So far, 29 people — mostly schoolchildren — have died while many others are undergoing treatment with some in critical condition, the Directorate General of Health Services said today (23 July).
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While it has been two days since the crash, time seemed frozen at Nusrat's home. Around 2pm on Wednesday, her mother, Parul Begum, sat sobbing uncontrollably. "My daughter was burned alive right in front of me… and I couldn't save her. She didn't even get the chance to eat her tiffin," she said.
Speaking to TBS, Parul recounted those final moments. "Her class ended at 1pm, followed by a short tiffin break and then coaching. I handed her the tiffin myself through the window grill. She kept looking at me — as if she wanted to memorise my face."
"As I turned towards the main gate," she continued, "a deafening crash shook the ground. A plane had fallen from the sky."
"I rushed to the school field. Flames were everywhere. Smoke engulfed the classroom. I tried to run inside, but people held me back," she said, her voice trembling.
Nusrat used to love watching planes from her window. Cruelly, it was a plane that took her life. "She's gone now… she'll never look at me through her classroom window again, asking, 'Ma, ki tiffin anso ajke?' — 'Ma, what did you bring me today?'"
Nusrat's father, Md Abul Hossain, seemed to slip into an unusual mental state, repeatedly calling out "Ma, Ma" from the next room. It was he who had dropped Nusrat off at school around 8am on Monday. The family lives near the Milestone School.
Recounting the tragedy, he earlier told the media, "All students were forced to attend coaching — they had no choice. My daughter died in the fire only because she was waiting for her coaching session after school."
Speaking to TBS, Abul Hossain said, "How do I go on living? I dropped off my precious daughter myself. Why did Allah take her away from me? I can't get her face out of my mind — I keep seeing her charred body. I buried my baby girl with my own hands…"
"If only she didn't have coaching that day… she might still be alive," he added.
Nusrat's elder sister Sumaiya, who also studies at the same school, had just finished her exam and managed to leave the school that day. But her little sister never made it out. Nusrat's memories now haunt her every step.
"Nusrat and I used to sleep in the same bed. She spent the whole day playing with me. I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep alone on that bed again," she said, breaking down in tears.
Nusrat's relatives are also struggling to cope with the tragedy. Her aunt, Piyara Begum, said, "We drop the children off at 7am. Classes end at 1pm, and then coaching runs until 4. These kids barely get time to eat. So many young lives were lost — there must be a proper investigation and justice."
Meanwhile, crowds of parents, students, and concerned citizens continue to gather outside Milestone School. However, with the main gate shut, no one has been allowed inside — not even journalists today (23 July).
