Bangladesh Air Force Chengdu F-7 BGI fighter jet crashes into college in Dhaka
A training jet operated by the Bangladesh Air Force has crashed onto a college campus in Dhaka.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI came down on part of the Milestone School and…
July 21, 2025
A training jet operated by the Bangladesh Air Force has crashed onto a college campus in Dhaka.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI came down on part of the Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s northern Uttara area, killing more than a dozen people and injuring many others.
–#China made plane crashes in #Bangladesh
— Insightful Geopolitics (@InsightGL) July 21, 2025
-F-7 aircraft crashed into a school campus
-F-7 is an export version of J-7
-J-7 was reversed engineered from Mig-21
-JF-17 also belongs to the same family
-In the recent past, #CCP fleeced over $2.5 bn from B'desh to supply military junk pic.twitter.com/hdicmzpqY8
According to the BBC, more than 50 people, both children and adults, were taken to the hospital with burns. It claims at least 19 people are confirmed to have died, including the pilot of the F-7.
The visuals from #Bangladesh #Dhaka look scary. BD airforce F7 training aircraft crashed inside a college building. There were students inside. Rescue operation is on. pic.twitter.com/0dCp0RtXQc
— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) July 21, 2025
The Independent reports that the aircraft crashed onto the roof of the college canteen during lunchtime when large numbers of young students were present.
Further details will be shared as they become available.
The F-7 BGI and its role with Bangladesh Air Force
The F-7 BGI is a modernised variant of the Chinese-made Chengdu J-7 fighter jet. The BGI stands for ‘Bangladesh, Glass cockpit, Improved,’ and is a version specificaly developed for the Bangladesh Air Force by Chengdu.
With a fully digital glass cockpit, improved radar and modern avionics, the F-7 is essentially a 4th generation capable fighter jet built on a 3rd generation airframe. The Chengdu F-7 is itself an upgraded derivative of the Soviet MiG-21.
The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) operates 16 F-7s, all delivered between 2011 and 2013. They’re used in air dedence, multirole operations and for training pilots. Reports indicated that the incident aircraft was on a training mission at the time of the crash.
The F-7 has a long service history worldwide, but it’s also associated with a higher accident rate compared to newer jets. This is partly due to its older airframe design, narrow safety margins, and lack of modern flight control systems.
In Bangladesh, several F-7s have been lost in accidents over the years, though the BAF has generally taken steps to improve maintenance and pilot training standards. The aircraft has limited automation, and requires high pilot skill, especially during high-speed, low-altitude training.
The BAF has stated that a formal inquiry is underway, although it has not yet specified the investigation’s scope or timeline.
