Final Words from Control Room: 'Eject Immediately!'... Bojro 632 Crashed!

"Eject immediately!"—This was the final command transmitted by the control tower to Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar just moments before his fighter jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Diabari, Uttara. After the frantic instruction, air traffic controllers attempted to re-establish contact multiple times without response. A little over a minute later, the terminal update arrived at the base: "Bojro 632 crashed."

A source confirmed to The Daily Campus that Towkir remained in direct communication with the control tower until the final seconds of the flight. In his last radio transmission, he reported that the aircraft had stalled—an aerodynamic condition where air fails to flow correctly over the wings, causing a complete loss of lift and control.

Upon hearing the stall declaration, the control tower issued the urgent directive: "Bojro 632, eject immediately!"

Towkir had a window of slightly over one minute following the command. However, instead of deploying his ejection seat immediately, he attempted to glide and alter the trajectory of the plummeting jet, fighting to steer the aircraft away from densely populated residential sectors to minimize civilian casualties. Tragically, the aerodynamic failure proved irreversible. The flight marked Towkir's first solo flight in this specific jet.

Reconstructing the Final Flight Path

The Chengdu FT-7BGI combat trainer departed from BAF Base AK Khandoker in Kurmitola at 1:06 PM on a routine training mission, circling the capital's airspace as part of its flight envelope.

Shortly after takeoff, the control tower requested a routine position report, which Towkir confirmed. A few moments later, during a secondary position check, the pilot alerted controllers that the aircraft had entered an aerodynamic stall.

The sequence unfolded rapidly with the control tower first instructing the pilot to execute stall recovery maneuvers and attempt a return vector to the base. As the aircraft lost altitude at a dangerous rate, Towkir updated his position again, prompting the tower to issue the direct order: "Eject!"

Refusing to abandon the jet immediately, Towkir chose to stay with the falling aircraft, attempting to force its nose toward open land near Diabari, Uttara. The jet ultimately impacted the second floor of the Milestone School and College building. Aviation experts noted that when a supersonic fighter jet suffers critical mechanical failure or loses flight dynamics, it essentially turns into an unpowered heavy projectile, making manual control nearly impossible as it drops rapidly toward the ground.

Addressing media reports claiming the pilot said "The plane isn't floating... seems like it's falling" in Bengali over the radio, an active Air Force pilot dismissed the phrasing to The Daily Campus. He clarified that official air traffic communications strictly adhere to standard international aviation English protocols, expressing skepticism over the origin of those unverified quotes.

The pilot also expressed frustration regarding structural encroachments around the airport perimeter. Although Civil Aviation authorities previously requested strict height restrictions and bans on high-rise constructions near flight paths to preserve safety margins, those guidelines have faced widespread non-compliance, worsening the hazards during low-altitude aviation emergencies.

Profile of a Dedicated Aviator

First solo flight training represents the final, crucial milestone of pilot conversion, where a trainee takes complete operational control of an aircraft without an instructor present to prove absolute technical competency.

Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar completed his early education at Rajshahi Government Laboratory High School and Pabna Cadet College before joining the Bangladesh Air Force in 2017. He is survived by his family in Rajshahi and his wife, a lecturer at BRAC University.

Fleet Dynamics: Advanced Conversion Trainer and Primary Interceptor

According to military sources, the Bangladesh Air Force operates two primary fighter aircraft categories: the Mikoyan MiG-29 and the Chengdu F-7BGI. While the older, all-weather MiG-29 fleet currently maintains 2 operational units out of 8, the F-7BGI forms the core of the daylight operational fleet, with 32 operational units out of 35.

Although procured primarily as an advanced conversion trainer for fighter pilots, the F-7BGI is designed to serve as the nation's frontline daylight interceptor during wartime. Under military doctrine, all non-combat sorties flown on these airframes are designated as operational training missions to maintain flight hours and tactical readiness.

Devastating Loss of Life and Casualties

The catastrophic crash has claimed at least 32 lives, including 29 children, two teachers, and pilot Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar. Among the young victims identified are Nafi Islam (9), Sayan Yusuf (14, Grade 7)—son of Milestone's Assistant Professor of Chemistry Yusuf—Bappi (9), Erikson (13), Arian (13), and Nazia (14).

Among the fallen educators, 46-year-old teacher Meherin Chowdhury demonstrated extraordinary heroism during the crisis, managing to rescue 20 students from the burning structure before suffering critical burn injuries. She later passed away while undergoing emergency treatment at the burn institute.

Over 170 individuals sustained injuries in the impact and subsequent fire, with dozens remaining in critical condition across specialized burn units and local hospitals.