Jahangir Khan, Principal of the Diyabari campus of Milestone School and College, has asserted that all buildings on the campus were constructed in full compliance with the regulations of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

Speaking at a press conference held at Bangladesh Aviation and Aerospace University in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Monday, July 28, Khan emphasised that the institution’s infrastructure development followed due process and received all necessary approvals.

“There are many educational institutions in this area – Milestone was not established with any special exemption,” he said. “The construction of our buildings strictly adhered to RAJUK and CAAB guidelines.”

Responding to questions about the presence of iron grills on classroom windows, Khan explained: “The grills are installed because young children attend classes in those rooms. It’s a safety measure to prevent accidents.”

He also pointed out that the surrounding area is densely developed with high-rise structures.

“The Metrorail building is taller than ours,” he noted. “In fact, there are several buildings in the vicinity that are higher. The entire area is urbanized with multi-storied constructions, all built with official approvals.”

Khan revealed that 80–82 per cent of enrolled students attend daily, and on the day of the tragic plane crash, July 21, 590 students were present in the Haider Ali Bhaban at the time of impact.

The building was used by a total of 738 students regularly.

When questioned about the absence of public CCTV footage from the incident, he said the immediate priority was accounting for students and reuniting them with their guardians.

“Our first task after the accident was to locate every student and ensure they were safely handed over to their families,” he said. “We had no time to retrieve or review CCTV footage, that was not our priority in those critical moments.”

He added, “We had to contact the guardians of 738 students. In such a crisis, was checking the CCTV footage more urgent than saving lives and reuniting families?”