Tanbir, Humaira left for class in the morning, came home in coffins at night

Tanbir Ahmed and Mehenaz Akter Humaira left home 21 July morning as they did every day, dressed in their school uniforms and ready for class at Milestone School and College in Uttara's Diabari.

By late night, their bodies were being transported back to their village homes in Tangail – silent, still, wrapped in grief.

Tanbir, a bright eighth-grader from Nagorbhat village in Mirzapur, and Humaira, a cheerful third-grade student from Hoteya Keranipara in Sakhipur, were among the victims of the tragic plane crash into one of the school's buildings.

The tragic incident has shattered the hopes of two families whose dreams were pinned on their children's futures.

Humaira, was the daughter of Delwar Hossain, a Bengali language teacher at the same school. Tanbir, the son of Rubel Mia and Lipi Begum, had been excelling academically since first grade. He was his class captain, known for his discipline and leadership.

His father, Rubel Mia said, "Tanbir used to wait for his coaching class after school. His younger brother is in the same school, in grade two. Their classes were in separate buildings."

"On 21 July, Tanbir was helping line up his classmates to head downstairs – and that's when it happened. That's how we lost him," said Rubel, who runs a business in Dhaka.

Yesterday morning, Humaira was laid to rest at 9am, and Tanbir at 10am, after funeral prayers attended by hundreds of grieving villagers.

The skies over Mirzapur and Sakhipur turned heavy with sorrow as the news spread. At their homes, the cries of family members pierced the air. Parents fainted repeatedly in anguish. What had been homes full of laughter are now wrapped in mourning.

"The authorities failed," said Rubel Mia with quiet fury. "So many children were hurt or killed. We demand accountability."

Tanbir's cousin, Sajib, said that his uncle Rubel Mia and aunt Lipi Begum had enrolled Tanbir at Milestone School and College with hopes of giving him the best education possible.

"Uncle runs a business in Dhaka. They had big dreams for Tanbir," Sajib said. "Tanbir wanted to be a pilot. That was his dream. He studied hard for it. Even when he came to the village during holidays, he never stopped reading. He was always focused."

He described the devastation that swept through the village as news of Tanbir's death spread.

"There was heartbreak all around," Sajib said. "The cries of his relatives filled the air. The entire village was drowning in grief."

In Hoteya Keranipara village in Sakhipur, Humaira's grandfather recalled her last visit to the village during Eid-ul-Adha.

"She came home this Eid," he said through sobs. "She stayed with me the entire time. My little girl won't come again. She won't ever call me 'Dadu' again," he said in a trembling voice.