Maherin gives life to save students
Maherin Chowdhury, a 42-year-old coordinator at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara neighbourhood, tragically lost her life on Monday night after heroically saving numerous students from a devastating fire caused by a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet crash.
Death toll in the plane crash that took place around 1:18pm Monday rose to 22 and over 164 people, mostly students, are admitted to different hospitals with critical burns.
On the fateful afternoon, as students were attending classes or preparing to leave, the jet crashed into the school’s Haider Hall canteen, sparking a massive fire.
Maherin, known for her daily ritual of guiding young students safely across the school gate, sprang into action.
Despite the rapidly spreading flames, she prioritised evacuating the children, many of whom were nursery to Class III students, before attempting to escape herself.
Eyewitnesses report that Maherin was at the school gate when the plane struck, causing an explosion and fire that engulfed the area.
“She was going out with the children after school. Just then, the plane crashed in front of the gate,” her husband, Mansur Helal, recounted to Jago News. “Even though she herself was burned, she tried to save the children.”
Her selfless efforts saved approximately 20 students, but Maherin sustained burns over 100 per cent of her body.
Maherin was rushed to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, where she was admitted in critical condition.
Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at the institute, confirmed that her burns covered her entire body, from head to toe.
Despite being placed on life support, Maherin succumbed to her injuries on Monday night, July 21, 2025.
Before losing consciousness, Maherin briefly spoke to her husband, describing the horrific moments of the crash and her efforts to save the children.
Her brother, Munaf Mujib Chowdhury, shared the heartbreaking news of her passing in a poignant Facebook post: “Mahreen Apu is no longer with us. My elder sister, who raised me like a mother.”
He noted that Maherin, a devoted coordinator at Milestone, leaves behind two sons and a grieving family.
Maherin’s courage has resonated deeply across Bangladesh, with social media posts hailing her as a “true hero” and “superhero” who sacrificed her life for her students. “
The crash, attributed to a technical malfunction shortly after the jet’s takeoff from BAF Base Bir Uttam AK Khandker, has prompted a national day of mourning on July 22, 2025, as declared by the interim government.
A high-level investigation committee has been formed to determine the cause of the disaster, which is the deadliest aviation incident in Dhaka in recent memory.
Mansur Helal described his wife as more than a teacher: “She loved her students like her own children. She’d stay late to help them, always smiling.”
Her brother echoed this sentiment, asking for prayers for Maherin, who “left us, leaving behind her two sons.” As rescue operations concluded and the nation grapples with the aftermath, Maherin Chowdhury’s legacy as a selfless educator and guardian will endure in the hearts of those she saved and the community she served.
The Milestone School and College community, along with emergency services, continues to support the injured, with hospitals like the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery treating scores of burn victims, many of whom are children.
The government has pledged comprehensive medical support, including potential international treatment for the critically injured.