Chinese Made Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 Jet Crashes In Dhaka, Kills 19: What We Know About The Aircraft

Dhaka: A Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet of the Bangladesh Air Force crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring over 100 others. The jet reportedly caught fire soon after impact around 1:00 PM, triggering chaos and panic across the school campus and surrounding locality.

The jet involved was identified as an F-7 BGI (701), a specific variant of the Chinese F-7, which serves as an export version of the Chengdu J-7, itself a derivative of the Soviet-designed MiG-21. Originally developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the J-7 was widely exported and modified into numerous configurations, including the BGI variant used by the Bangladesh Air Force. 

According to reports, China had supplied 36 F-7 BGIs to Bangladesh, with 16 entering active service in 2013. The Bangladesh Air Force currently operates a combination of FT-7MB Airguards, F-7BG, and F-7BGI aircraft, with the BGI model primarily used for training and interceptor missions. Despite its cost-effectiveness and long service record, the J-7/F-7 series is often linked to higher accident rates, mainly due to its aging design and lack of modern flight control systems.

Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene as the aircraft plummeted onto the campus, igniting a fire and sending a massive plume of smoke into the sky. Bystanders rushed to rescue victims while firefighters and military personnel battled the flames and combed through the wreckage.

Authorities have launched an official inquiry to determine the cause of the crash. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and interim head of government Muhammad Yunus have both expressed grief over the tragedy, calling the incident a "devastating loss" for the Air Force, as well as for the families of students, faculty, and staff impacted.

The tragedy comes just weeks after another aviation disaster in Ahmedabad, India, where an Air India plane crashed into a medical college, killing over 240 people, including crew and civilians on the ground.

Rescue operations continue at the crash site as the country mourns yet another devastating blow.

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