Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Diabari area reopened today on a limited scale, aiming to support students’ mental well-being in the wake of the July 21 plane crash that left the campus into mourning.
No classes or examinations will be held for now. Instead, the students will interact with teachers and peers, aiming to gradually restore emotional normalcy, Principal Mohammad Ziaul Alam told The Daily Star.
“The entire campus has been grieving since the July 21 plane crash. At this moment, our priority is the psychological recovery of our students and bringing them back to regular life,” he said.
“We, along with the students, will return to classes slowly and gradually,” he added.
Shah Bulbul, public relations officer of the college, said several thousand students from class nine and upwards arrived at the campus this morning and took part in a doa mahfil, seeking blessings for the deceased and injured of the crash.
They talked with each other, with friends and teachers. Many guardians also took part in the prayers, he said.
A medical camp, run in coordination with the Bangladesh Air Force, is also operating on campus to provide both physical and mental health support to students.
Faculty members are actively providing counselling support, and students who need one-on-one conversations are being given that opportunity, officials said.
At least 34 persons, mostly students, were killed and more than 150 others injured after an Air Force jet crashed on the campus on July 21. Following the tragic crash, the authorities had announced the closure of the institution.
