Maherin Chowdhury, the brave teacher who risked her life to save her students during the Milestone College jet crash, has tragically passed away from her injuries. She had been on life support at the ICU of the Burn Unit in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) with 100% burns.
Her death was confirmed by her younger brother, Munaf Mojib Chowdhury, in a heartfelt Facebook post late Monday night.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Maherin apu just passed away. My eldest sister, the one who brought me up like a mother. She was a coordinator at Milestone. She didn’t get out first from her building when it caught fire — instead tried to get as many students out, but ended up suffering 100% burn. Please say a prayer for my beloved sister tonight. She leaves behind her two sons,” he wrote.
Maherin, 42, was serving as a coordinator at Milestone School and College in Uttara when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into the school’s primary building around 1:06pm on Monday, igniting a devastating fire. Eyewitnesses and her family say that instead of escaping immediately, Maherin stayed back to rescue students trapped inside. In doing so, she suffered critical burns across her entire body.
Earlier in the day, her husband Monsur Helal told the media that Maherin had briefly spoken to him before being placed on life support. “She told me she was helping children exit when the plane hit. Even while she was burning, she tried to save them,” he said.
Her death brings another wave of heartbreak to a nation already grieving the loss of 19 lives — many of them children — and more than 160 injured in the crash. Maherin’s courage and sacrifice have touched hearts across Bangladesh.
She is survived by her two young sons.
Gonotaar extends its deepest condolences to Maherin Chowdhury’s family, students, and colleagues. May her memory live on as a symbol of selfless bravery and maternal devotion.
