High Court Mandates Emergency Info on Student ID Cards, Orders Aviation Accident Inquiry
The High Court has directed that all educational institutions across Bangladesh must include the guardian’s phone number and the student’s blood group on student identity (ID) cards. The order was passed on Tuesday, July 22, by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Khatun and Justice Syed Zahid Mansur, following a primary hearing on a public interest litigation. The Secretary of the Ministry of Education has been instructed to implement the directive promptly.
The court also ordered the formation of a special expert committee to investigate the recent air crash involving a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft that crashed into Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari area, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The government has been instructed to form the committee within seven days, with a final report to be submitted to the court within 45 days.
Additionally, the court issued a rule asking why the government should not ensure overseas treatment for injured students, teachers, and guardians, and why the families of deceased students should not be compensated with Tk 50 million each, and those injured with Tk 10 million each. The court further instructed the government to guarantee quality medical treatment for all injured individuals and to establish modern fire safety systems in all educational institutions across the country.
In another rule, the court raised concerns regarding the flight of faulty aircraft and fighter jets in densely populated urban areas like Dhaka.
The petition was heard by Bangladesh Bar Council Vice Chairman Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, and Advocate Siddiq Ullah Miah. Representing the state were Deputy Attorney General Shafiqul Rahman, Tanim Khan, and Assistant Attorneys General Ikramul Kabir and Md. Isa.
The High Court’s directives address multiple facets of the tragedy. It questioned the justification of paying Tk 50 million to families of deceased students and Tk 10 million to those injured, while emphasizing the need for immediate medical attention either within the country or abroad.
Though discussions on student safety have surfaced from time to time in Bangladesh, this is the first instance where the inclusion of guardian contact information and blood group on student ID cards has been made mandatory. Previously, some private institutions included blood group data voluntarily, but it was never compulsory.
The new directive comes after reports revealed delays in contacting guardians and difficulties arranging blood transfusions for injured students in the immediate aftermath of the crash—making the order both timely and crucial.
It is worth noting that on May 25, 2021, the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) issued five guidelines regarding the collection of student information for generating unique ID cards. Those instructions emphasized, among other points, that providing blood group information was not mandatory and warned schools against causing harassment or collecting fees during the information collection process.
