‘Please help us find our children’
My daughter went to school around 8:00am. Her classes end at 1:00pm, but she stays until 3:30pm for coaching. I haven't found her since. They are not letting anyone in. Please, help me find my daughter.
A sense of grief and desperation engulfed Uttara yesterday after an air force jet crashed into Milestone College, killing at least 22 people and leaving several students missing, as anguished families searched desperately for their loved ones.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Parents rushed between the crash site, hospitals, and morgues in a frantic attempt to locate their children. Near the metro rail depot in Uttara, just 500 metres from the site of the crash, heartbroken families stood crying, clinging to hope.
Among them was Parul, the mother of Nusrat Akhter, a third-grade student who has not been seen since the incident.
"Our home is in Diabari," Parul told The Daily Star, her voice trembling.
"My daughter went to school around 8:00am. Her classes end at 1:00pm, but she stays until 3:30pm for coaching. I haven't found her since," she said.
As security forces sealed off the area, she pleaded, "Where is my daughter? They are not letting anyone in. Please, help me find my daughter... I just want my daughter back."
The scene outside the college was one of chaos, confusion, and quiet prayers. Families wandered between hospitals and the crash site, clutching photographs, their eyes swollen from tears. According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, many students remain unaccounted for.
Lucky Akter, another guardian, told reporters around 3:00pm that both her children study at Milestone School.
"I managed to get my elder child out, but I can't find the younger one," she said, tears streaming down her face.
Ferdousi Begum said her daughter was still trapped inside the school building.
"I haven't been able to reach her since the crash. I don't know if she's okay," she said, her voice barely audible through sobs.
Sayma, a third-grade student from the Cloud section, is still missing. Her cousin, Suman Ahmed, shared their family's anguish.
"Her parents are in no condition to speak. We've searched everywhere -- Milestone, Kurmitola Hospital, the burn institute, DMCH -- but she's nowhere. We're just waiting, hoping. Please help us find her."
Another student, Saad Salahuddin, a third-grader from the Bangla medium section, is also untraceable.
"His parents have been searching relentlessly since the incident. They've gone to every possible place. We are extremely worried. Please, someone help us," said his aunt Sajh Rahman.
Raisa Moni, a third-grade student from the Sky section, is also missing.
"We don't even know if she's alive," a family member said quietly. "We just want her back. That's all we ask."
As night fell over Uttara, many families remained in limbo -- waiting, hoping.
The Daily Star could not independently verify how many students are currently missing, but what remains clear is the depth of heartbreak shared by all.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the parents' cries echoed one shared plea: "Please help us find our children."
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